Providence College Student to Run First-Class Marathon

According to the official Boston Marathon website, 22 people from Westborough have registered to run in the 2011 Boston Marathon. For the days leading up to the marathon, we will feature our Westborough marathoners and encourage you to cheer each of them to the finish line!

Name: Tom McDonough

Age: 20

Marathon experience:  Tom ran cross country and track while at . He decided to train for a marathon after completing his first half marathon last spring. Tom qualified for Boston at his first marathon, the Amica Marathon in Newport, RI, last October —one day before the 2011 Boston Marathon registration opened. He was unable to apply before the marathon registration closed in a record eight hours. “I was in classes all day,” he said. Tom is hoping to re-qualify at Boston and run again in 2012.

Reason for running:  Tom is running for the Charlestown Boys and Girls Club, and has raised over $3,000 for the cause. He did most of his fundraising over winter break at local locations. “I’m pretty psyched that not only I can run the Boston Marathon, but help people out at the same time,” he said. “It’s pretty cool.”

Training tip: “The long runs are the most important thing,” Tom said. “You’re running 26.2 miles and you have to prepare yourself for that distance.” Tom recommends doing at least one long run on the course. “I trained on the course during Spring Break from Ashland to Boston,” he said. "It’s definitely tricky with the downhill for the first 17 miles.”