Kate Carney ran cross country at North Andover High and other than some light jogging, never gave running distances a thought the next 15 years.
“I’d been to Boston for the marathon, to watch, and always thought it was fun and cool,” recalled Carney, 41, now residing in Salem, N.H.
When Covid hit about six years ago, she saw running as an opportunity to get out of the house, almost a needed escape. And she literally never stopped.
Just before turning 40, one of her best friends from college said, “Let’s do a marathon.” and Carney, who had hiked the 48 4,000-foot mountains in New Hampshire, bit.
It started with a downhill marathon in North Conway in September of 2024. She missed out on the lottery for the 2025 Chicago Marathon, instead getting a number through the Heart Association, which was near and dear to her heart as her father died of a massive heart attack, raising $13,000.
Not only did she adore his sense of humor, love of sports and music, but losing him at age 48 was and sometimes still is tough to handle.
“He was the life of the party, wherever he was,” Carney said. “He was the best. He was just such a good guy, and I still miss him terribly.”
About five days after Chicago she said, “I need to do Boston.”
She applied for a charity bib number through Tedy’s Team for 2026 race. She was chosen. And the rest was and is history.
“It was epic,” said Carney, a nurse practitioner and mother of 12-year-old Madeline. “It was a perfect race for runners, probably not the crowd. It was even better than I thought it would be. We had names on our jerseys. Running through scream tunnel at Wellesley with the college girls, was deafening. And I could smell the beer when I ran by the students at Boston College.”
She had an app on her phone in which friends could send her voice messages at each mile.
“I found myself crying happy tears,” she said. “I heard from friends I hadn’t seen in years. My daughter left a message. I was thinking of my dad. It was incredible.”
Carney was so into the experience, finishing in 4:09:50, she forgot to look for her sister and daughter near Fenway Park. “My daughter is still upset with me,” laughed Carney.
The last mile down Boylston Street was memorable.
“Most people fly that last part, but I took my time and soaked it all in,” she noted. “The after-party for Tedy’s Team was amazing. It was a true celebration, one I’ll never forget.”