by Julie Gowel ·
Friday, November 29, 2024
The Harvard Public Schools has an accomplished athlete in its midst: Caitlin Lelievre, administrative assistant to the Superintendent of Schools, was just inducted into the Abbott World Marathon Majors hall of fame.
The Six Star award was introduced by the hall of fame in 2016 as a way to recognize runners who completed the original six marathons. Runners wishing to compete for the massive Six Star medal must complete six marathons, three of which are held in the U.S.: Boston, New York, and Chicago. As if running 26.2 miles six times wasn’t enough of a challenge, competitors must also travel abroad and complete the Tokyo Marathon in Japan, the Berlin Marathon in Germany, and the London Marathon in England.
Lelievre displays some of her marathon medals. (Courtesy photo)
Fewer than 11,000 runners, globally, have earned the elite Marathon Majors title. Beginning her journey in 2016, Lelievre, a 30-something from Hudson, started jogging to lose weight and get in shape. “I did the Boston Marathon thinking it would be a one and done kind of thing,” she said. “Then I got in through the lottery for Chicago and Berlin. Once I had half of them, I was kind of like, ‘I should probably just go for it.’”
And so she did. Lelievre trained for hours, running 40 miles a week in preparation for the races. Sometimes her dog would accompany her on the shorter runs, while her parents traveled to every marathon with her. “My mom is my biggest supporter,” Lelievre said of her mother, Peggy Lelievre. “Unfortunately for her, she’s the one who usually ends up having to listen to all my running woes.”
Training to run 26.2 miles can come with a lot of woes, but Lelievre has been relatively lucky. While training for her sixth and final marathon for the majors, the New York marathon, held earlier this month on Nov 3, she fell while walking her dog. “I thought, ‘Oh my God, of course this would happen right before I’m supposed to run.’ Thankfully, it was fine.” In Berlin, Lelievre came down with a sinus infection right before the race and had to run while not feeling her best.
In talking about the international races, Lelievre said she enjoyed traveling and taking in the local sights. For instance, she ran the Berlin Marathon in 2022 and was able to attend Oktoberfest in Munich with her parents. “The day after the race, we walked to the top of this tower. We had to go up all these stairs. At the time I remember thinking, ‘I don’t know if this is a great idea,’ but also, ‘I’m here. I want to see stuff. I don’t want to sit in my hotel room!’”
Caitlin Lelievre takes part in the Berlin Marathon. (Courtesy photo)
Tokyo provided a significant cultural experience for Lelievre. “The people in Japan were more reserved than we are. At the beginning, when we first started running, a lot of people had their phones out, just filming us. But they weren’t cheering or clapping or anything,” she recalled.
Lelievre’s favorite marathon overall was Boston, and she attributes her fondness to the hometown vibe of the race. In ranking the courses, she said Berlin takes the top spot for her based on the fact that it was mostly flat terrain and there was significant crowd support.
For anyone looking to run in Lelievre’s footsteps, she has some advice: “I think finding your why is important,” she said. “For me, it was seeing what I could do. I found I am capable of doing hard things.” Once you have your why, Lelievre said you also need the how. “Logistically, it can be difficult. Some of the races are hard to get into. I did fundraising for three of them, and then the other three, I was able to get in through the lottery. Look at your options.”
What will Lelievre do next? “I’ll probably focus on the half marathon. It’s kind of nice that it doesn’t take over your life,” she said. “You can run fewer miles and still be social, have a life outside of running. When I’m marathon training, it definitely takes over for three or four months.”