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Vince Paparozzi covers a lot of ground in his North Central US territory
for HOBAS Pipe USA. He recently covered more ground in Boston by competing the 109th
annual Boston Marathon. Covering 26 miles and 385 yards, the course follows a route from rural
Hopkinton to Boston.
To qualify for Boston, you must run a qualifying time at a certified
marathon. Qualifying times are based on your age on the date of the Boston Marathon in
which you will be competing. Vince qualified in his home City of Chicago in September of 2004 with a
personal record time of 3:30:35.
"I started running distance at age 47. Before 2003, my longest
distance run was less than 10 miles." Vince’s long distance running began about 3 years ago,
and he has since completed 3 full and 4 half marathons including a
half marathon in Chicago with a time of 1:31:53 (7:00 min/mile pace).
In Boston, Vince was on track for one of his best runs averaging
about 8:00min/mile pace thru the first 18 miles but fell short of
his goal due to the grueling course and unseasonably warm
temperatures. Although Vince is a bit disappointed in his time in
Boston, "It was a great feeling just being part of one of the
country’s most prestigious marathons. That said it was still a humbling experience".
Vince plans on taking another shot at the Boston Marathon (110th
running) next April, two weeks after his 50th birthday!
Congratulations to Vince and good luck in future races!
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