2023 Hoops and Homework Boston Marathon Runner, Steve Elefson.

March 8, 2023

Steve Elefson has run the Marathon For Hoops and Homework in the past. He is not a natural runner with long legs but he has fallen in love with running except for the torture that he had to endure in 2018 when the weather was really terrible. It was cold and rained the entire time. Sheets of rain came frequently. This was his first try at the Boston Marathon and he missed the great crowds urging the runners on. Not quite the experience that he was expecting. He couldn’t even get water from his hydration pack because it froze up. His hands were so cold that he couldn’t even tie his shoelaces after they came undone. At one point both of his legs cramped up and he just had to walk. The pain was excruciating. His mind was telling him that he should just give up but he convinced and willed himself that despite the pain, wet, cold and blisters he had to continue. He was motivated to get this horrible thing done and cross the finish line. It was extra difficult for him and other slower runners, because he was out there in that miserable weather for 4 and one half hours. It was an ordeal and an amazing experience which made him feel that he was ready for anything that could be thrown at him.

He is wishing for better weather this year as it couldn’t be worse than 2018. Lessons learned were that running a marathon was something that he never thought he could do but if you put your mind to something and dream big and start with small achievable goals, you can do it. Persistence!

Here is Steve training for his 2023 Boston Marathon run.

Steve said that it did indeed feel every bit of 4 degrees when he bundled up and banged out a recent frostry Boston Marathon training run. It would have been easy to stay warm at home but he needed to be ready on race day because he is raising money for the kids at Hoops and Homework.