Runners finish Boston Marathon

SANDPOINT — Thanks to a pair of Sandpoint runners pounding 26.2 miles of pavement at the Boston Marathon and a host of community members pledging their support, more than $800 was raised for the Sandpoint Special Olympics.

Good friends and running partners Rod Crawford and Barbara Brown each finished the 119th Boston Marathon on Patriots’ Day last Monday, relishing the chance to run in one of the most famous and historic races in the world.

Crawford clocked a 4:04.47, while Barbara Brown crossed the line in 4:18.07, although the finish times were essentially meaningless in the grand scheme of things. Both runners raved about the legendary Boston crowds, as well as the chance to help the local Special Olympians, who are trying to revive both their winter and summer Olympic programs.

“There were crowds the whole race, but coming into downtown the noise escalated, an amazing push that drove you right on into the finish,” described Crawford, whose idea it was to solicit pledges for a cause dear to his heart. “I can’t wait to give it (money) to them. It was fun to know that we were able to help the community out.”

More than 30 people pledged various amounts for each mile that Crawford and Brown would run, and a handful of their friends and neighbors chipped in to help with travel expenses.

It was Brown’s second Boston Marathon, and she plans to run it again next year. She had Barbara written on the front of her shirt and got a kick out of all of the people yelling “go Barbara!” in their thick Boston brogues.

Brown ran with Crawford for half of the race, until he stopped at the Wellesley College, the halfway point, where some of the female students were giving kisses to the passing runners.

“Rod stopped for a kiss and off he went,” joked Brown, who loves the race atmosphere. “I just reveled in it, all the enthusiasm; the last three miles the crowd just cheered us on.”

Because they had worked so hard together, Crawford was willing to run the entire race with his training partner, who wasn’t having any of it.

“She said ‘if you feel like going ahead, go ahead,’” he said, adding that they talked to runners from all over the world. “I waited for her at the finish line. The whole thing was pretty cool.”