We are all always running. But the stories that we tell when we run are all unique. For some it may be about what they are running from, but for others it’s about what they are running towards. Running is both physical and mental and can show us who we are. For Coach Peter Buckley, running is a way of life. And this time, he is running for something bigger than life.
While Coach Buckley began running when he was in highschool, his race mostly started during his mid 20s. “I started to run small, local 5k races and tried to run as many as I could in under 20 minutes”, Buckley states. These small races pushed him to complete his first half marathon in 2007. He didn’t give much thought to this race and the goal was simply to complete it. In 2008, he then ran the Long Island Marathon, a 26 mile run! But it was indeed a challenge. “It was terrible,” Buckley said. However, this experience only made him push harder. He decided to join his group of friends and together they are all trained and motivated to work harder. From there, things started to get going. “In 2013 I ran my personal best of 3:44 and 1:38 for the half marathon, and ran the New York Marathon 4 years in a row from 2013-2016.” After reaching these feats, Coach Buckley decided that it was time for a break.
However, Buckley’s race was not yet over. At the age of 42, he decided to run again and in 2019 he ran an impressive
4:02 marathon. “It was a tremendous day” Buckley stated when remembering his first marathon back. With this, he decided to run marathons in both 2022 and 2023. But on these days, he didn’t see the same results because of nagging injuries and inconsistent training. Nonetheless, overcoming hardship is nothing new to Buckley, and this next marathon would be personal.
During New Years Day of 2022, a time where people start anew and hope for better days, Coach Buckley’s sister was rushed into hospital because of an intense headache. It was revealed that she had glioblastoma brain cancer. She was rushed into surgery to remove a tumor and the doctors put her on clinical trial. While her treatment has not been easy, like her brother, resilience has allowed her to recover most of her faculties. To help the cause even further, she suggested to her brother that he should raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the hospital overseeing her treatment. And so Buckley decided to do this the only way he knew how: For his 10th marathon, Coach Peter Buckley will be running the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2024, an event that his sister has been heavily involved in for over a decade now. It may be challenging and take some long, cold days of training but Coach Peter Buckley will not only have the support of his sister, but he will also be in pursuit to achieve the ultimate finish line: a world without cancer.
