Dr. Richard G. Jacques, an avid runner, has completed over 45 marathons, a majority of which are the Boston Marathon, which he has run nineteen times. On April 15, 2013, he had just completed an important personal goal of running the Boston Marathon 10 years in a row when he was alerted to the bombing attacks on the course.
The people of Boston and the marathon itself, which Dr. Jacques considers among the most prestigious and challenging races, hold a special place in his heart. In the aftermath of last year's marathon, he never considered not returning to run again for the 11th consecutive year. As the anniversary of the attacks approached, he was asked by The Greenville News to reflect on last year and on his return to Boston; below is an excerpt from the newspaper article. The complete online version can be found here.
We are extremely proud of Dr. Jacques for all that he has accomplished and for his determination in maintaining the "Boston Strong" attitude. We applaud him as he looks forward to his 20th Boston Marathon next year!
From
Greenville dentist Dr. Richard Jacques remembers how beautiful Boston was during the early hours of last year’s marathon.
He’ll never forget how the race ended.
Jacques had just completed his 10th straight Boston Marathon when he walked to his room at the Taj Boston on the corner of Arlington and Newbury streets -- about three blocks from the finish line.
He says he returned quickly to his room to relax and see his wife, Mary Jane, and daughter, Amy, who made the trip from New York City by train. Jacques also remembers a quickly changing scene from his view overlooking a public garden.
“We had the windows open because it was a pretty afternoon,” Jacques said. “I can’t remember an instance hearing the bombs, but what I did hear were a whole lot of sirens.
“Suddenly there were all of these sirens and police. The streets were swarming with police and SWAT teams. There were policemen on horseback ... soldiers with AK-47s. It turned into a completely different scene.”
Later he learned of the twin bombings that left three dead and injured 264 others.
He’s competing in the race again this year -- today will mark his 19th time -- and says there was no hesitation in his decision to make the trip.
“Absolutely not,” he said. “That was not even an idea in my head.
“I’ve had patients ask me ‘Oh, are you going back?’ And my first response was ‘It will be the safest place to be.’
“The incident wasn’t going to deter me. The city of Boston just embraces this whole weekend and the runners feel so welcomed up there.”
Jacques runs year-round and says he likes to compete in three marathons a year. “Two in the fall and then I like to run Boston. It’s the oldest and most prestigious.”
Last year Jacques, 60, finished with a time of 3 hours, 52 minutes. His personal best for a 26.2-mile race is 3:13 and his first year running in Boston was back in 1989 when he says there were about 6,500 entries. This year the field will swell to about 36,000 competitors.
According to the Boston Athletic Association’s website, today’s race also will have 10,000 volunteers and 3,500 uniformed police officers.
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Jacques isn’t making any changes to his routine. He left Friday for a short car ride to Charlotte where he boarded a flight to Boston’s Logan International Airport. He plans to return to Greenville on Tuesday.
He notes other changes have been made for safety concerns. Jacques says bags to hold the extra clothing worn for the cool-morning bus ride from Boston to Hopkinton will not be permitted.
The extra layer of clothes is usually returned and waiting for the runners near the finish line. This year Jacques says clothing will be discarded at the starting line and given to the homeless in the area.
But Jacques welcomes the changes that come with this year’s race. He’s been there for some of the marathon’s highlights, including its 100th anniversary in 1996, the race at the turn of the century, and, in 2012 when he said the field ran in the second hottest Boston Marathon on record.
“Each (Boston Marathon) is special,” he said. “You get to learn the course. I’ve made a lot of friends. It’s a real meaningful trip.
It’s a pleasant experience and I’m going to keep doing it until I can’t do it anymore.”
