Running the Boston Marathon is an extraordinary accomplishment. Running it 25 times is a milestone that only a small group of elite runners has achieved.
Next week, after crossing the finish line, Brett Gordon is joining the exclusive Boston Marathon Quarter Century Club. And, for the past 14 years, every mile has also been about supporting Project HOPE, a Roxbury-based nonprofit that helps families move out of homelessness and into long-term stability.
As part of our ‘Why I Run’ series, Brett joined GBH’s All Things Considered host Arun Rath to share what’s behind his 25th consecutive year running the Boston Marathon. What follows is a lightly edited transcript of their conversation.
Arun Rath: Let’s talk about the beginning of your running journey, which I hear didn’t actually start until you were in your 30s. I love that! Tell us about what ignited this passion for running.
Brett Gordon: It’s a little bit of a funny story. I wasn’t really a runner, as you said; I didn’t start until later in life. My sister-in-law had convinced me to run the Falmouth Road Race with her. And about a week before, she got injured. I ran anyway.
I got to the end of the race, saw her and said, “Oh, that was so much fun. I want to do something like this again. I want to run a marathon!” She sort of looked at me, laughed and said, “You could never.” And gave all the reasons — the training, the commitment, the discipline, et cetera — as to why I could never do it. That’s all I needed to hear.
Twenty-five years later, I’ll be running my 25th consecutive Boston Marathon and my 46th overall marathon. So, I thank her for that initial push to get me going.
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Rath: You knew it then, and you fell in love with running marathons, but could you imagine 25 consecutive years?
Gordon: Not at the time. You know, I think for a lot of people, you run your first marathon, and you’re one of two people: the “I’m glad I got that done, cross it off the bucket list.” And then there’s the rest of us, including me, who say, “That was amazing. That was life-changing, and I can’t wait to do it again.”
Rath: With that, and with what running means to you already, talk about what this milestone of joining the Quarter Century Club is going to mean.
Gordon: You know, the running part definitely has some personal aspects to it, and joining the Quarter Century Club, I’ll be one of plus or minus 120 people with 25 or more consecutive Boston Marathons. It’s a great personal accomplishment.
But probably what’s even a greater accomplishment for me is the impact I know I’m able to have running on behalf of Project HOPE and raising money, raising awareness and making a difference in the lives of others in our community is most important.
Rath: Tell us more about Project HOPE and the work you do.
Gordon: Project HOPE is a small organization focused on the Roxbury-Dorchester area. One of its taglines is, “Helping women and children get up and out of poverty.” If you look at people in our community, often they are so close to being independent, but there are just one or two things that stop them from becoming independent. They could get a job if they only had a place to live. They could keep a job if they only had money for child care. They could pay rent if they only had first, last and the security deposit.
It’s this one little thing that’s missing; for some, it’s less than $10,000 that makes a difference. Without it, they’re homeless. Fifty percent of children who grow up homeless become homeless as well, so if you can work and help break that cycle and make a difference, you’re not only changing lives today. You’re changing lives for generations to come.
It seems so small — it’s a lot of money, don’t get me wrong — but when you look at it that way, five or $10,000 to change the lives of a family today and generations thereafter forever, you’ve just got to get engaged and make a difference. That’s what drew me to the charity, and that’s why I’m delighted to be running my 14th year on their behalf.
“I feel it’s an obligation to help our community and those around us because that’s how we’re supposed to treat other people. It’s how I was raised.”Brett Gordon, Boston Marathon charity runner for Project HOPE
Rath: You fell in love with running almost at first run. I’m curious about your passion for helping others. Where did this come from, and when did it start?
Gordon: It did start around running time. One of the things that I think the Boston Marathon has done well is… It’s the most prestigious elite marathon in the world. It’s the only race other than the Olympics that you either have to qualify for or you have to get a number through charity to be able to participate.
For me, as someone in their late-20s, early-30s, getting into running and thinking about, “OK, I now have to get into the marathon and run for charity,” it taught me how to think about things a little differently. You know, I’ll be candid: I’ve been fortunate to be employed and have some professional success and am in a position to give back. What the charity and running have shown me are different ways to do that.
It’s also taught me personally that if you’re in a position to make a difference — whether it’s giving money, giving time and supporting others in different ways — it’s our obligation. And I use that word deliberately. I feel it’s an obligation to help our community and those around us because that’s how we’re supposed to treat other people. It’s how I was raised.
So, I’ve sort of transitioned that into running. It’s our commitment to help our community and help others in need. That’s what we would all want, and we probably all have at different points in our lives. This has been a way that I’ve learned how important it can be, in the way that I’ve channeled those efforts. I feel blessed to be able to do it.
