By a mere 17 seconds a Sechelt man has had his dream of qualifying to run in the Boston marathon come true.
Rick Cooney, manager of operations and development for the Sunshine Coast Credit Union, was banking on his regular training to help him become one of the 20,000 allowed to participate in the prestigious race each year.
And even sweeter is the knowledge that Cooney's friend Carl Green has made the cut as well. Green, who has 10 years on his 46-year-old friend, took an astounding three hours, 26 minutes and 45 seconds to run the recent Victoria marathon, almost nine minutes under what he needed to qualify for the Boston event.
Cooney joins past qualifiers, Sunshine Coast elite athletes Teresa and Larry Nightingale and Ken Grunenberg, in realizing this dream-come-true. Green was a previous runner in Boston in 2001.
Both Cooney and Green are rake-thin. They each have body fat of between five and 10 per cent when they're at their peak running weights. Coincidentally, they became serious runners at about the same time. Cooney got the running bug as part of an overall fitness regime in 1995. That same year he ran in the Vancouver Sun Run for the first time.
Around that time, Green began running to get fit for skiing with his family.
"My sister-in-law dragged me off to the Sun Run, and I was hooked," Green shared.
And although the two friends didn't know it, they ran several runs at the same time, including the Sun Run.
Cooney said the run that started everything for him was the 1995 Terry Fox Run. The run in honour of the one-legged Canadian inspired him.
"It initiated me into running. I did it to gather contributions," Cooney said.
And the good feeling just continued to grow. "We chase endorphins. That feeling lasts with you. Runners are positive people," Cooney explained.
And while training has played a big part in getting the men to where they are today, it wasn't always so. Both men were in less than perfect form when they started running.
Green said that he had never been much of an athlete and before he took up the sport he had peaked at about 178 pounds on his 5 ft. 9 in. frame. Now the runners are each about five or six pounds over their high school weight.
Regular exercise is important to the men. Neither of them have physically demanding jobs. Green is a boom man for Sechelt Creek Contracting.
"I've been doing this for 38 years. Now I sit on a boat and sort logs all day," said Green.
And Cooney has had office jobs for his almost 30 years in the financial sector.
One of things that appeals to the numbers man is the low cost of running as a sport.
"It's cheap. All you need is a good pair of runners, the "Wright" socks and Vaseline for the feet," Cooney said.
The socks are double lined and specially made for runners; they don't allow friction on the feet.
The year the two turn 50 and 60, Cooney would like to go to Athens and run the original marathon.
In the meantime, the two will prepare for next spring in Beantown.
