Alumni prep for the Boston Marathon in support, with excitement
Westfield State University will be well represented at the 2014 Boston Marathon. After last year’s tragedy, the Owls have come back strong, proving that pride for the capital city trumps fear.
Ashley Zolenksi ’05
Ashley Zolenksi ’05 has run the Boston Marathon in each of the past six years; this coming April will mark her seventh. Zolenski says that, for a moment, the idea of not running again this year entered her mind, but only briefly.
“The evening of the bombings, when I got home, I did not want to even leave my apartment, let alone run the Boston Marathon again,” she says. “That quickly changed after I was able to let my emotions settle.”
Now, she says she’s excited to run yet again.
“The amount of support from everyone has been incredible, and I know that I will be in good hands with the security at the marathon,” Zolenski says.
Last year, Zolenksi was a half-mile from the finish line when the bombs went off.
“They stopped the race,” she says. “I was so confused. Why would they do that? I was waiting around with other runners, but we didn’t get any information.”
They waited for about an hour before they were informed that everything was clear, and then they walked down the deserted street to get their belongings. Zolenski, who has lived in Boston for the past eight years, said it was eerie walking toward the finish line when the city was empty.
“All you could see were police officers and police barricades,” she says.
Zolenksi says that strangers came around with trash bags to help keep the runners warm, and that people from local restaurants came out with water.
“It was a reminder that there was still good in the world,” she said.
Zolenski, 30, works as a strategic development officer at Suffolk University and will be running for the Boston Medical Center.
Erica Mellone ’02
Erica Mellone ’02 is gearing up for her second consecutive run in the Boston Marathon, but this coming year will offer only her first chance to finish. Last year, she was stopped around mile marker 21 because of the bombings.
“We didn’t really know what was going on,” Mellone says. “We were kept in a church for three or four hours. Most of us didn’t have cell phones, and those who did, didn’t have service. We couldn’t tell our families how we were.”
This year, Mellone feels determined to step out again.
“I don’t know what to expect to feel yet, other than it will be pretty incredible when I finish,” she says.
Yet, even after last year’s tragedy, Mellone says she isn’t nervous about running this year.
“There is going to be so much extra security, and I don’t think we can let ourselves get nervous—then the bombers win,” she says. “We need to show up and run the best marathon of our lives.”
Last year, Mellone went back to finish the course on her own, when the final mile was re-opened in May, but this year she’s looking forward to finishing officially.
“Hopefully with a five-hour pace,” she says. “What’s really important is to finish and to come around that corner and run down Boylston Street. I want that experience, to be a part of the Boston Marathon.”
Mellone, 32, works as a financial planner in Needham. She will be running for the Alzheimer’s Association, and her goal is a record-breaking year for her charity. Donations can be made at crowdrise.com/ericamellone2014.
Julie Arrison ’01
Julie Arrison ’01 will be running the Boston Marathon for the third consecutive year. She was stopped at mile marker 24 in last year’s race.
“I ran with a friend whose husband and son were injured in the bombings. We hope that training and running will continue to add to both of our healing processes,” Arrison says.
Arrison says that she is not nervous about safety on the course after seeing new security precautions that were taken at the Chicago Marathon, which she ran in October 2013. It was her seventh completed marathon.
She says her goal for the day is to run with her friend from 2013 and to help her enjoy the day as much as possible.
“It’s a great gift to be able to train and run and enjoy family, friends and the joy of strangers for 26.2 miles,” Arrison says. “I want to be able to recapture some of that magic and help her to do the same in Boston.”
Arrison, 34, is currently a resident of Salem, where she works as a site manager for Historic New England. She will be running for the Franklin Park Coalition.
