CTV Atlantic reporter inches closer to Boston Marathon start line

For a long time, the 2023 Boston Marathon seemed far into the future for CTV Atlantic reporter and avid runner Ryan MacDonald.

"It is less than five weeks away, 33 days, to be exact. But, hey, who's counting? I'm counting, that's who,” MacDonald said, with a laugh.

Suddenly, the April 17 race is just around the corner and now the dream of competing in his first Boston Marathon is close to becoming reality.

"Seriously, like a kid on Christmas morning,” MacDonald said of how he has been feeling.

“I've been counting down the days. From 93 days to race day down, there hasn't been a day that's gone by that I couldn't tell you at the snap of my fingers exactly how many days there is."

Things got more real a couple of weeks ago when his Boston Marathon jacket arrived in the mail.

“I always thought, you know, 'Will I ever wear that jacket?'” MacDonald said.

“Then, when the jacket arrived, and I tried it on in the mirror, I was actually kind of struck by how natural it looked on me."

Recently though, there's been a setback.

MacDonald came down with tendinitis in his ankle.

He’s done physiotherapy and sports chiropractic treatment and has had to scale back his mileage to let the injury heal.

"I was pretty worried,” MacDonald said.

“I was (wondering), 'Is this where the Boston dream goes up in a poof of smoke?’ But, thankfully, I was told it was caught early. Maybe no trip to the start line is complete without a bit of adversity, a bit more of a story to tell, I guess."

Going to Boston with MacDonald is a crew of at least nine other runners from the Sydney, N.S., area.

First, and fastest, is ‘marathoning mailman' Timmy Fitzgerald of Sydney.

Next, is mother-daughter duo Linda Miles and Laura Doucette of Howie Centre, N.S. They were supposed to run Boston together in 2020, but had to wait out the pandemic and had to qualify all over again.

Then, there's Anne Doyle of Coxheath, N.S. who ran her first Boston Marathon in 2017. Now, at age 68, she's coming back for seconds.

Gary Ross of Sydney -- a Boston Marathon veteran -- will be 66-years-old on race day.

There's Kate Gillis of Lake Ainslie, N.S., who last year ran the fastest Boston time ever by a Cape Breton woman.

First-timers include Krista Starzomski of Howie Centre, who started running when gyms closed in 2020, along with Jason McGuigan of Point Edward, N.S.

Rounding out the group is retired Crown prosecutor Andre Arseneau of Coxheath.

For one training run, the group ran from Sydney to Louisbourg, N.S.

The distance was 32 kilometers, with a view of Fortress Louisbourg at the finish.

"The main goal is to soak it all in. High-five as many fans as you can. Look around with wonder at all the landmarks. The Citgo sign, Fenway Park,” MacDonald said.

From the first pitch at the Red Sox game on April 16 to the finish line the following day, it's an experience the group of Cape Bretoners will share every step of the way and one that will bond them for years to come.