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Runner Spotlight: Pat Padden

April 2010

Marathon Runner Smells the Roses En Route from Hopkinton to Boston

He has run the Boston Marathon in years past. He has also participated in New York and Pennsylvania marathons and twenty-nine half marathons. Although pounding the Boston pavement this April is not new to Run for Research® team member Pat Padden, he says just the thought of lining up at the Hopkinton start line makes him feel as giddy as Christmas morning.

For Pat, the anticipation builds on the bus ride to Athlete’s Village and continues as he passes the millions of spectators along the route. Whether it is the women of Wellesley College screaming his name; the supportive Newton residents pushing him up Heartbreak Hill or the Red Sox fans pouring out of Fenway Park a mere mile before the finish line; Pat finds every bit of this challenging day exciting. He doles out the same sage advice to all new runners-- just enjoy yourself. “You’ve done the training, but there will always be a thing or two that is outside your control so don’t focus too much on your time goal,” says Pat.

Not only does Pat relish the thrill of the day, he also finds great satisfaction in raising money for charity through his running. Throughout the last few years, Pat has developed a strong connection to charitable outreach through his athletic endeavor. In 2005 and 2006, Pat ran the New York Marathon on behalf of a children’s charity. When he decided to tackle Boston, a friend secured him a number. Although he did not have to join a charity or raise money, Pat was determined to make his experience worthwhile for someone and something other than his own needs. In his own family, his brother-in-law had liver disease and underwent two liver transplants, while his mother had passed away from liver cancer. Joining the American Liver Foundation’s Run for Research® team was a natural fit for his desire to help others and keep a close connection to those he holds close to his heart.

Over the past two years on the RFR team, Pat has raised over $21,000 and is considered a top fundraiser for the RFR group. Pat is the Fundraising Co-Chair of the RFR Runners’ Council, a group of volunteers who are committed to helping the team run smoothly. His own campaign consists of old fashioned letter writing, which he mails to friends and family and business associates. He feels that sincerity in his request, along with thanking each donor, is the key to raising large funds for a charity.

Pat, who is the father of four grown children, says running is not only something he does to help others, he runs to maintain his overall health. “I never finished a run and thought I wish I hadn’t done that,” he says. Pat participates in the Saturday training runs from Boston, but follows his own schedule on the treadmill during the week. He hopes that all that training will pay off on April 19 as he sets sights on a time goal better than his last marathon. Good luck Pat, we are all cheering for you!