On a Monday morning on the 20th of April this year, the 119th running of the Boston Marathon will begin. Come rain or shine, sleet or snow, approximately 30, 000 brave souls of all ages, gender and mobility will give it their all to finish the arduous course which begins in Hopkinton, Massachusetts and ends at the finish line in Boston near the John Hancock Tower in Copley Square, 42.2 km on and some 5 hours later after the gun start.

I’m not one of these brave souls, not just yet anyway. But I would like to be someday. For those going to the Boston I wish you all the best on your journey. What a journey it will be! Thousands will line the route to cheer you on, and you will likely hear not one of them. You will only hear that little voice in you that will repeat over and over again you own personal anguishes.

Will you be ready? Did you pack that extra something or was it forgotten as you left home? What did you forget: your watch? your favourite shoes? personal charm? last minute words from your coach, close friends? I feel nauseated. My stomach is churning. My hands and feet are cold. Oh God! help me.

2,431 Canadians will participate in the 119th running. Statistically here are the numbers:

British Columbia 234Alberta 217Saskatchewan 20Manitoba 45Ontario 1101Quebec 597New Brunswick 73Nova Scotia 105Prince Edward Island 12Newfoundland & Labrador 27

TOTAL 2431

Ontario has the most qualifiers with 1101 participants. Mississauga has 40 qualified runners. Just think in our own nabs we have 40 who are going to Boston. Here is a list of Mississauga qualifiers:

BIBWAVE/CORRAL NAME AGE M/F CITY

1 15072 2/8 Afonso, Florentino 53 M Mississauga

2 562 1/1 Aitken, Kyle 42 M Mississauga

3 2151 1/3 Balestra, Frank 56 M Mississauga

4 27390 4/4 Barr, Brian W. 52 M Mississauga

5 4427 1/5 Bellerby, Chris G. 41 M Mississauga

6 12907 2/5 Brezer, David 53 M Mississauga7 13809 2/6 Chahal, Surat 59 M Mississauga8 11548 2/4 Chu, Ludwig 45 M Mississauga

9 9015 2/2 Clews, William M. 68 MMississauga

10 24064 4/1 Currell, Ann E 56 F Mississauga

11 10193 2/3 Dehnashi, Zarah 49 F Mississauga

12 10325 2/3 Griffiths, Leonard 55 M Mississauga

13 22796 3/7 Gualtieri, Elena 49 F Mississauga

14 4637 1/5 Hitchcock, James 33 M Mississauga

15 6598 1/7 Holwell, Dermot W. 60 M Mississauga

16 13369 2/6 Jameson, Michael W. 54 M Mississauga

17 4082 1/5 Kagan, Ryszard 56 M Mississauga

18 5706 1/6 Kimberley, Glenn 38 M Mississauga

19 1009 1/2 Kirby, Sean W 35 M Mississauga

20 20116 3/5 Kwan Thomas, Jennifer 43 F Mississauga

21 11983 2/4 Lee, Chuck 45 M Mississauga

22 24849 4/1 Lee, Faith 55 F Mississauga

23 16837 3/1 MacDonald, Debbie M. 53 F Mississauga

24 5088 1/6 Martin, Ronald 59 M Mississauga

25 19124 3/4 McIntyre, Megan 37 F Mississauga

26 15204 2/8 Mulligan, Bryan 57 M Mississauga

27 16555 3/1 Nelson, Gord 59 M Mississauga

28 25100 4/2 Northcott, Clara 60 F Mississauga

29 23109 3/8 Pharai, Dawn 46 F Mississauga

30 23580 3/8 Quinn, Claudine 46 F Mississauga

31 18903 3/3 Rix, Michael R 60 M Mississauga

32 4069 1/5 Singh, Jasvir 47 M Mississauga

33 15445 2/8 Thayme, Tifanne T. 28 F Mississauga

34 11255 2/4 Turner, Wendy J 47 F Mississauga

35 22677 3/7 Valaitis, Cynthia M. 54 F Mississauga

36 5518 1/6 Van Alstine, Steven 47 M Mississauga

37 10871 2/3 Walker, Kerry L 41 F Mississauga

38 20312 3/5 Williams, Carrie A. 46 F Mississauga

39 4664 1/5 Woof, Guillaume 33 M Mississauga

40 4068 1/5 Young, Carl R. 51 M Mississauga

Did you know that the Boston Marathon logo is a Unicorn? This was a mythical creature that resembled a white horse and had a large spiral horn projecting from its forehead. There are many reasons given why the early Boston organizers choose a Unicorn. But it’s a certainty, that’s the only choice they had when one considers that the other mythical creatures available wouldn’t have fitted the bill. Would you have chosen a troll, or a Skunk Ape, or an Ogre, or how about a Gorgon?

Are you curious that the organizers chose a Unicorn? Not really! The original organizers of the Boston Marathon back in 1897 wanted an emblem to identify the Boston Athletic Association and chose the Unicorn because it represented something noble, something great and maybe something unattainable. Maybe that’s what the Boston Marathon is all about. The Boston AA selects those runners who are at the top of their game. So let us all congratulate those Canadians and especially those from Mississauga who have been selected to represent Canada in this year’s running of the 119th Boston Marathon.

Bob Didier

March 17, 2015