By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
How did Matt Nie celebrate completing his first-ever Boston Marathon Monday afternoon?
He was back in school Tuesday morning, listening to, of all things, inspirational speeches from his advanced public speaking class.
“It started before I left, and now I got to continue,” said Nie Tuesday morning, less than 24 hours after completing the marathon in 3 hours, 8 minutes and 6 seconds.
Nie qualified to the Boston Marathon – the world’s oldest annual marathon – in 2014 through the Chicago Marathon. The field for the marathon has become so big qualification is now running two years out.
As a result, he qualified just a year after the bombing at the 2013 marathon – and got to run with some of those injured who were returning to the course for the first time.
Two of those running, Patrick Downes and Adrianne Haslet, were running with prosthetic legs. Nie said the emotion of the first few miles was palpable.
“Even though it’s been three years, there’s a real sense that things are beginning again,” Nie said. “Renewing.”
Nie said he got caught up in that excitement and emotion, which continued to fuel him throughout the race. One of the high points, he explained, was going past the “scream tunnel” of Wellesley students “offering free kisses.”
But when Nie reached the infamous “Heartbreak Hill” – the last hill in a series of hills late on the marathon course – he survived it.
It was coming down the opposite side that was the issue.
“Your legs are just bricks,” Nie said.
But Nie used a technique that he had read about in running the last few miles, dedicating each mile to a specific person as he neared the finish line.
As he approached the finish line, Nie said the emotion and excitement – especially the emotions of a city still feeling the wounds of the 2013 bombing – he witnessed fueled him.
“You see a city screaming at the top of their lungs,” Nie said. “Knowing the city had gone through so much, and being a part of reclaiming this city for the people.
“Then also feeling like, ‘here I am, running the oldest continuous marathon,’” he added. “I never thought I would be here.
“It’s one of those bucket-list items you don’t think is possible.”
Nie also got a new perspective on humanity as a whole.
“We make a lot of mistakes as a group of people,” he said. “But when push comes to shove, we do a lot of things right.”
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