The majority of the Boston University community — especially students — look forward to Marathon Monday for the city-wide buzz it creates on the pavement; the annual pass to enjoy an open container of beer while cheering on runners alongside Boston Police uniforms, all while feeling that elusive sense of community that emerges on Beacon Street.
But some BU students and alumni push their participation further by foregoing their Solo cups and passing out water cups, among other venues of volunteerism. For them, the Marathon means direct involvement in, and connection with, a long-standing Boston tradition.
In a closed-off corner on the second floor of the Boston Public Library, a scene unfolded several times on Monday, always with the same result:
“Three of the top seven are Americans … did you get that?”
Treseler Running and Consulting Services President Fred Treseler looked over at one of the volunteer messengers, who then quickly relayed the information back to the on-air personality.
A few moments later the personality at CBS-4, the main television network providing live coverage of the Boston Marathon, informed the listening audience that at the moment, three of the top seven men’s runners were Americans.
In the midst of this quick transfer of information, Boston University student Sara Jacobi took a moment to smile because she helped make that information all the more accurate.
That is because TRACs, the sports marketing and event management firm that has provided marathon coverage through their Race SpotWatch network for 21 years, depended heavily on the program that Jacobi — an intern — helped coordinate this year.
With the assistance of less than a handful of college students from the Boston area, Jacobi directly organized Spotter’s Network, a program in which three to four volunteers are located at every mile of the marathon on race day, ready to report to SpotWatch quick and precise information about when the first runners pass a mile mark.
The 75 high school students, two college students and two Elite Athlete Village hosts, used as “spotters” for this past Monday, were a crucial component to the successful coverage of the four races — men’s, women’s, wheelchair and a second wave of runners — that ran simultaneously throughout the day, Jacobi said.
“They’re the eyes and ears of the Spotter’s Network,” the College of Communication sophomore said. “It’s important that we have accuracy first, rather than speed.”
Comparing the extent of her involvement now to when she watched the race on television last year, Jacobi said she was naive about the process of putting together an event like the Boston Marathon.
“Little did I know there was so much going on,” she said. “There’s a lot that goes into making something like this look so effortless.”
Jacobi, satisfied with how smooth the SpotWatch network ran Monday, said it felt great to be part of something so intricate.
“There was a real sense of accomplishment,” she said. “It was just great to see everything come into fruition.”
School of Management senior Karen Lee, another TRACs intern, said there is a real sense of teamwork that surfaces when working with people of different cultures and backgrounds.
Treseler, referencing a Japanese expression to explain the importance of teamwork in putting an event like the marathon together, put it in simple terms:
“Success has many fathers, and when a significant event is expected to be a success, it requires many different fathers to nurture it,” he said. “Anytime a person has the opportunity to become involved in an international event, looking from the inside out, it’s an amazing experience.”
THE VETERAN
Even after 11 years of Marathon voluntarism, Chris Chanyasulkit admittedly had butterflies in her stomach when thinking about Monday.
“I get so excited every year,” the 1998 and ’01 BU alum said. “And every year I’m so sad when it ends.”
As one of 75 volunteers who hosted for the John Hancock Elite Athlete Village — a miniature Olympic station run by TRACS and located in the John Hancock Conference Center in Copley Square — she helped some of the top runners in the world prepare for the Boston Marathon.
Now in its 17th year, the village provides transportation, meals, entertainment and various credentials to the John Hancock-sponsored fittest and fastest. With 28 sponsored elites representing 13 countries, runners included the men and women’s winners, Robert Cheruiyot and Rita Jeptoo of Kenya.
As most athletes checked into the Village up to a week before race day, dozens of hosts scheduled various times to keep the athletes company, with someone constantly available to accommodate them around the clock.
With over a decade of service under her belt, Chanyasulkit is considered a veteran.
“I have drawers full of things athletes have given me over the years,” she said. “One of the most rewarding aspects of the job is getting to know them one-on-one.”
Chanyasulkit’s tasks throughout the week leading up to race day ranged from picking up an athlete at the airport to simply eating a meal with them.
“I don’t just do one thing, I tend to do them all.”
Such activities included helping athletes with any needs or concerns they may have had while in Boston, taking them on race course tours, helping them check into the Village and organizing several entertainment events, such as a dinner and miniature golf game.
“We worked all week to give these athletes a hospitable environment,” she said. “We wanted them to leave Boston knowing they got the best treatment.”
Now a doctoral student at Northeastern University, Chanyasulkit shrugs away any criticism about why she keeps coming back to volunteer.
“Some people are like ‘why do you do this?'” she said. “I don’t think they realize what a wonderful experience this is … it makes my heart swell.
Chanyasulkit said BU students who got involved with the Marathon, even if just for one day, created real memories of living in the city.
“College students in general don’t tend to get involved and miss out on a true Boston experience,” she said. “Everyone should get involved to be a part of this tradition.”
Chanyasulkit said if she has it her way, she will continue taking a week off from work for as many years as possible to return to the Village.
“If it were up to me, I’d volunteer here forever. I don’t think I’d ever want to leave.”
NO REGRETS
“I wanted to do it for the accomplishment of it,” Douglas Needham admits a day after the race. “But now, it certainly forced me to push myself more physically and mentally then I ever imagined.”
Training six days a week and close to eight miles a day, the second-year BU School of Law student dedicated between 10 and 15 hours and 35 to 55 miles a week to prepare for Monday.
To begin training for an international race only after mid-January, when other participants began up to six or more months in advance, the first-time marathoner acknowledged the physical challenges that surfaced along the path to race day.
“I had my ups and downs,” he said. “Squeezing 16 weeks of training into 12, I wish I had started a little earlier.
“It took some getting used to, but your body responds pretty well,” he continued.
Hailing from Syracuse, N.Y., Needham had always experienced the Boston race from a spectator’s point of view. However, this year he saw the event as an opportunity to take his running hobby and fitness to the next level.
“Seeing [previous] coverage on television, and how the city gets behind the runners … that got it in my head,” he said. “I decided I was going to push forward.”
Despite the optimism, one month ago Needham began experiencing “runner’s knee,” a pain above his left kneecap that emerges when a person has been running for extended periods of time. Concerned he may have overworked his body due to late training, Needham took some time off during the past month to prevent exacerbating his injury.
“I iced my knee every night, so the pain was drastically reduced,” he said. “It wasn’t going to stop me or slow me down, and I was prepared to run through it if it did.”
Needham worked out on the stationary bicycle and elliptical machine in the university’s Fitness and Recreation Center in order to take the pressure off his knee. With a combination of ice and ibuprofen, he said the pain was pretty much alleviated for race day.
So much in fact, that he completed the race in three hours, 28 minutes, and 19 seconds — a personal victory.
“I’m ecstatic about my time,” he said. “But the biggest thing was just finishing the race.”
Needham said the last few miles were the most difficult because his legs tightened up.
“It was tough,” he said. “I really wanted to stop, but I knew I didn’t want to walk to the finish line.”
Needham said he could not have succeeded if family and friends had not pushed him to continue, like colleague and runner Jarrod Clement, who works in BU’s Office of Judicial Affairs where Needham is a graduate intern.
“He was definitely instrumental,” Needham said. “He gave me training tips and motivation, particularly on what I should push through and what I should lay off.
“With every runner, you go through some rough patches,” he continued. “[Clement] got me interested, and kept me interested.”
Needham said he was pleased to see other students participating in the day’s events, especially because he feels BU students are fortunate to have a marathon take place so close to the Charles River Campus every year.
“Whether they were running, volunteering or just cheering, the marathon gave everyone a great opportunity to get involved in any way that [students] choose.”
Although Needham was not a registered runner, simply participating in the race with different members of the community and world was more significant for him.
“It’s great that so many people of so many ages and abilities participated,” he said. “The city got right behind you.”
Looking back on the road to race day, which included not only support from peers but injury and frustration due to extended periods of harsh training, Needham views running the Marathon as an experience that will stay with him long after he stops calling Boston home.
“It was amazing,” he said. “I have no regrets.”
A GROUP EFFORT
As athletes from every part of the world passed the 24-mile mark — many continuing on pure adrenaline and cheers echoed by the crowd — Jacob Curtis at station 24 realized the scope of his contribution went far beyond simply handing out water.
“To be able to see 25,000 runners pass all these miles and still be going strong,” the College of Arts and Sciences sophomore said, “was truly inspiring.”
A first-time marathon volunteer, Curtis, along with dozens of others at the Boston University water station, distributed cups of water and Gatorade to the hoards of athletes who showed nothing but gratitude in return.
“We weren’t only there to give out refreshments, but encouragement as well,” he said. “A lot of the runners were so thankful … but really, the pleasure was all mine.”
Not too far down the set of tables, School of Management sophomore Cole Bramley could not have agreed more.
“In a race so long, it was imperative for runners to stay hydrated,” he said. “With so many miles into the race at this point, they’re pretty tired.”
Bramley said he could relate to the mentality of some runners, who often feed off the optimism of the spectators.
“As a runner myself, it’s a big deal to feel supported on the course,” he said. “It was very rewarding to be able to do my part for the runners in their race.”
Curtis said he was happy with the sense of community that emerged among the volunteers, who were not acquainted with each other prior to the beginning of the day.
“It was a group effort,” he said. “There was no discretion; you just went where you were needed.”
Observing student volunteers at the water station, Bramley said it gave them not only an opportunity to aid the runners, but a chance to be part of a long-standing tradition.
“Without community involvement, this marathon could not have been successful,” he said. “BU is part of the community, and so it’s nice to see students help out in any way.”