Hoover resident finishes 6th Boston Marathon

Theresa Burst never intended to run as many marathons as she has. 

She originally thought she might do 10. But as time passed, the number of 26.2-mile races she completed continued to grow and grow.

On April 15, Burst, a 61-year-old Hoover resident, finished her 26th marathon at the most revered marathon of them all: Boston.

Burst finished the 123rd Boston Marathon in 4 hours, 14 minutes and 22 seconds. It was her sixth time competing at the prestigious event. 

“It’s really rewarding,” Burst said. “You’ve done something that not everybody has a chance to do.” 

Boston is widely regarded as one of the world’s premier footraces. A small group of professionals vies for a prize purse, but most of the approximately 30,000 entrants pursue personal achievement. And for recreational runners, few achievements compare to competing at Boston.

What separates the race from its peers is the entry barrier that doesn’t exist at most other road races. Runners must meet a difficult qualifying standard — referred to as a Boston qualifier, or BQ — if they want to toe the starting line.

“The whole city supports all of the runners,” Burst said. “It’s a great event.” 

Burst, a retired pharmacist, began running after she graduated from Auburn and moved to Birmingham in the early 1980s. The sport allowed her to de-stress from work and find community while enjoying the outdoors. 

In 2000, she ran her first marathon in Nashville and clocked a BQ. Burst completed her first Boston the following year. 

“After that, it was really more of a matter of just going with friends,” she said. 

But Burst also lowered her time while soaking up the camaraderie. In 2013, when bombs erupted near the finish line, Burst posted her fastest performance. She came across in 3:31, just a little bit off the personal best she set a couple of years prior in NewYork City. 

Burst qualified for this year’s race at the 2018 Napa Valley Marathon. To prepare for Boston, she stuck to a “run less, run faster” training plan. 

She navigated snow and ice while spending much of the winter in Colorado, so she relied on cross-training activities like snowshoe running and cross-country skiing to build her aerobic fitness ahead of the marathon.

“It is hard,” she said. “It is something that doesn’t come totally easy all the time.” 

Burst went to Boston with a couple of friends, took in a Red Sox game the day before the race and endured warm temperatures en route to her finish. 

Afterward, she celebrated with a seafood dinner and a trip to a local pastry shop. 

One week later, as she reflected upon her Boston experience, she said she already has entertained the idea of signing up for her next marathon — perhaps as soon as this summer. 

“Now, someone told me I have to do 30; we’ll see,” Burst said. “Everybody has more in them than they give themselves credit for.”