HISTORIC RUN

After becoming the first-known Minneota female to run in the Boston Marathon, Lisa Gillund returned home last week and reflected on what a rewarding experience it was.
"It's a tough course," she said. "But it's just amazing to see all these spectators there for one reason -- to support everyone who is in the race. They said there were around 500,000 spectators and they are all screaming and cheering on the runners. It can be overwhelming."
Gillund never gave up her dream and eventually qualified for the Boston Marathon on her fifth attempt through her qualifying time in the Twin Cities Marathon in 2019.
Because of the pandemic, the Boston Marathon was basically shut down from its original format of running on Patriots Day (the third Monday in April), so Gillund tried to get a better qualifying time, which she accomplished on Nov. 6, 2021 at the Indianapolis Marathon.
Also, due to the pandemic, Gillund and many others had to patiently wait for well over two years to get a chance to run the Boston Marathon on April 18. It was worth the wait.
"I will never forget that day," Gillund said. "It was just incredible."
Gillund's time in the Boston Marathon was a little slower than what her qualifying time was, but the Boston Marathon course is much tougher, too, with many grueling hills.
"It takes a toll on your body," she said. "My calves are a little beat up."
In fact, at one point around mile 21, Gillund stopped running and walked for a bit. That's when an unknown spectator offered a pep talk.
"Some guy yelled from the side 'Hey, you didn't come this far to walk'," she recalled. "He wasn't being mean. He was just trying to motivate me. That's what all the spectators do because they know how important this is to us."
Gillund's husband, Travis, and their friends Mechele and Rick Bruner, represented her support group before, during and after the marathon. This the 20th marathon Gillund has run in her career.
"This was the toughest course I've ever run," she remarked. "But it's a constant reminder that the body is capable of amazing things. It's absolutely rewarding and I'm proud of all the work I put into it."
What makes this course difficult is it starts out downhill and entices the runners to start quickly, which in turn, takes them out of their routine and zaps a lot of their energy later on. Runners hit a series of four hills stretching from miles 16 to 21, that includes a half-mile ascent around mile 20 called Heartbreak Hill. The hills vary in steepness and length.
"That's where it makes or breaks you," Gillund said about Heartbreak Hill.
What made this year's Boston Marathon even more special, Gillund noted, was it marked the 50th anniversary that women were first allowed to run. The original eight women that ran in that inaugural marathon were all on hand to run again this year.
This run was something Gillund admittedly had worked on for 10 years. And now that it's over?
"I'm a firm believer that my story with Boston isn't done yet," she said. "I'm a little sad that's it's over. It actually makes you hungry to do it all over again. It takes a lot of patience and grit."
Gillund is planning to run the Twin Cities Marathon again this October, which marks the 40th anniversary of that event.