Professor to run second Boston Marathon

  Thursday, April 16, 2015 2:00 AM
  News

Pittsburg, KS

It was a moment he worked for since the day he took up competitive running in 2011.

“The Boston Marathon, I think, is that one race that all runners dream about,” said David O’Bryan, university professor of accounting at Pittsburg State. “Being there in 2013 was just a surreal experience.”

Memorable in its own right, that year’s race will forever be remembered for the tragic bombing that took place near the finish line. O’Bryan had completed the race and was on the subway when the explosion occurred, and while he was not physically harmed, the events of that day touched all who were present.

“It’s something I couldn’t even comprehend until a few days later,” he said. “The gravity of it took a long time to sink in.”

Now two years removed from that tragic day, O’Bryan is ready to compete again in one of the world’s most famous races. The 2015 Boston Marathon takes place on Monday, April 20.

“I think I’ll enjoy it a lot more this year,” he said. “I’ve trained better than I did two years ago, and I promised myself to take it all in this time. Two years ago, I was nervous about even getting to the starting line in time. I want to relax and enjoy this opportunity.”

A longtime runner, O’Bryan said he didn’t begin competing until the fall of 2011.

“I had always wanted to run a marathon but never had,” he said. “Then one day I woke up and decided to just do it.”

Since then, he’s competed in eight full marathons, five ultra-marathons and various other races. As is the case in all of them, proper training is key to success. O’Bryan admits he wasn’t ready to run in Boston two years ago. That is not the case this time around.

“I was probably running 30 miles a week leading up to 2013,” he said. “When I got there, people were telling me you have to hit at least 40 to 45 miles per week to really get ready. Ever since I got back from Boston two years ago, I’ve been running 60 miles each week.

“I enjoy it,” he said. “I love to run. I love to race. And when you’re getting ready for the Boston Marathon, you do what it takes to truly be ready.”