[ccfic caption-text format="plaintext"]
By Douglas McCulloch
Hometown Weekly Staff
For Westwood native Adrian MacDonald, running has always been in his blood. From his racing on the Westwood High track team, to his enjoyment of running through the streets of Westwood, MacDonald has always been training.
Now, MacDonald can add Boston Marathon runner to his runner’s resume, after he completed his very first Boston Marathon in the first wave of the race in 74th place, with a time of 2:35:48.
“I feel great, the adrenaline is still rushing,” MacDonald said several days after the race. “It was very exciting."
Leading up to the Boston Marathon, he trained by running key sections of the race course, as he lived close by the main route. He was feeling confident heading into the marathon, and noted that he marked a new personal best in the 3K, 5K and half marathon times.
“I knew going into the race on Monday that I was good and ready,” MacDonald said.
MacDonald began his running career after joining the Westwood High indoor and outdoor track teams while he was in high school. He played with the team for several years before graduating from Westwood High in 2006.
He quickly transitioned into the track team at his college, Gettysburg College. While racing in the cross country and track teams, he began racing in middle distance races with distances further than what he was used to in high school.
Now used to increased distance races, MacDonald was searching for a challenge to put his running skills to the test, so he decided to run in a marathon in Gettysburg.
He raced in a marathon in Gettysburg in 2014, and participated in a marathon in Burlington, Vermont in 2015 after moving back to New England.
When he moved back to Boston, he decided to race in the Boston Marathon as he both lived and worked near the race route.
“The Boston Marathon is the most famous marathon,” MacDonald said. “I live less than one mile from the course and I work right on the course.”
Despite now living in Allston, MacDonald still makes the trip back to Westwood once a week to complete a run in his hometown. He enjoys leaving the hustle and bustle of Boston behind in favor of a more relaxed and natural environment of Westwood, from the quiet suburban streets to Hale Reservation’s trails.
“It’s nice to get out of the city and run on country roads,” MacDonald explained.
