At about the time most students were waiting in lunch lines at Moulton and Thorne on Patriots Day Monday, senior Avery Galleher was warming up with 20,000 other athletes at the 110th Boston Marathon starting line.
Although it was not Galleher's first marathon, it was the first time she faced Heartbreak Hill, the race's legendary climb, which runners hit after about 20 miles, making it the toughest stretch of Boston's unforgiving course.
"I had a hard time going up Heartbreak Hill," she said. "There were so many people, who were walking, I was tempted to, but my friend Katie [Eshelman '06] was at the top. I probably would have stopped, but she jumped in and ran a few miles with me."
For Galleher, who was recovering from several training-related injuries, finishing the marathon was her primary goal. She accomplished her goal in 3:48:01, putting her in the middle of the pack.
"I wasn't going to do it at all because I had so many injuries and it was so difficult to train through the winter," she said. "I didn't run so much for time. It was 20 minutes slower than what I ran [in Philadelphia] to qualify."
Since the city practically shuts down for the race, throngs of people line the course to cheer on the runners, which Galleher found helpful.
"There were so many people cheering. A Red Sox game had just finished. The people were so friendly," she said.
While Galleher is taking a break from marathons, she is planning on competing in triathalons.
"I might take a little break from marathons, but I'd like to start doing triathalons," she said.