Alliance runner completes his first Boston Marathon

An Alliance businessman who often can be seen running around town recently was a part of history.

Gary Pate, manager of Rental Corrall on West State Street, was one of more than 30,000 runners who participated in 126th running of the Boston Marathon on April 18.

He finished the 26.2-mile race in 3:08.43 and was cheered on at the finish line by his daugther, Chrystina, and his mother and brother.

Pate, 43, who took up serious running just six years ago, had previously run in two Cleveland Marathons and the Canton HOF Marathon. Of the Boston Marathon, Pate said, "It wasn't as hard as I expected."

But with 30,000 runners, the logistics were a new experience. All runners met in the morning at the finish line at Copley Square, where they were then bused to the starting line in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. There, the runners were separated into different starting times and sections based on their qualification times.

He thought he did well and was not intimidated by the race's well known Heartbreak Hill. "Running up Union Avenue is harder than that," he said.

He's hoping his finishing time will qualify him to run in next year's race. "It's a lot of work, but it's worth the effort," he said.

Last year, Pate won the 2021 Greater Alliance Carnation Festival Trail Run, finishing in 22:51.77.

This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Alliance runner Gary Pate completes his first Boston Marathon