Hometown Weekly Staff
On April 18, Needham resident James McQuivey will step up to the starting line of the Boston Marathon in Hopkinton for the first time and take on the challenge of completing the 26.2-mile course to support the YMCA of Greater Boston.
McQuivey, 46, only took up running four years ago, according to a press release from the YMCA. He was forced into making a lifestyle change after a doctor’s visit showed cholesterol and blood pressure issues. It was not until he brought his daughter to her first Boston Marathon that McQuivey found a love for running.
Now he is a regular on the streets and trails of Needham and has joined the YMCA team in preparing for this spring’s race. The team meets on Saturdays to run pieces of the marathon course and McQuivey adds miles by running from his Needham home into Wellesley and meeting the team on Boylston.
In the press release, McQuivey said, “It’s important to me that I feel comfortable on the route and learn each turn and hill…It’s also fun to see the look on people’s faces when I tell them I just ran in from Wellesley.”
McQuivey is also a longtime member of the Charles River YMCA and he is “excited” to run the marathon for a cause that is close to his heart and that his family has been a part of for such a long time.
“I’ve tried other national-chain gyms and the focus is just not the same,” he said. “I like the Y because the focus is on the community and how they can help, not the money that they have coming in.”
He has raised nearly $7,000 so far, just shy of his fundraising goal of $7,500. All proceeds from the team’s fundraising will support the YMCA’s teen programming, which includes 15,000 free three-month memberships to teens, as well as safe dating, cyber bullying, job readiness, and other programs targeted towards youth.
McQuivey has been blogging during his training, including a piece from this weekend during a visit to India. Keep tabs on how McQuivey is doing at https://jamesrunsbostonblog.wordpress.com.
To support James McQuivey in his efforts to raise money for the YMCA of Greater Boston, visit https://www.crowdrise.com/ymcaboston2016/fundraiser/jmcquivey.
Josh Perry is an Editor at Hometown Weekly. He can be reached at news@hometownweekly.net and followed on Twitter at @Josh_Perry10.
