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Hopkinton Marathon Committee Selects Starters for 122nd Boston Marathon

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HOPKINTON, MA (April 10, 2018)—The Hopkinton Marathon Committee (HMC) has selected three past members of the Hopkinton Marathon Committee as starters; former HMC chairman Rob Phipps will start wave two, Al Rogers, wave three, and Anne Marcy, wave four. The Boston Athletic Association will announce the starters for wave one and earlier starts later in the week.

“We’re honored that the B.A.A. continues to give the Hopkinton Marathon Committee the honor of choosing starters for the later waves of the historic Boston Marathon,” said Hopkinton Marathon Committee chairperson Dorothy Ferriter-Wallace. “It has allowed us to recognize people who have served our community and the Boston Marathon in different ways. Rob, Al, and Anne dedicated many years volunteering for the Boston Marathon with the Hopkinton Marathon Committee, and we’re pleased to honor them as starters for waves two, three, and four.”

* Phipps, soon-to-retire Agency President of Paul M. Phipps Insurance Agency, Inc., served as HMC chairman for 14 years, starting in the early 80s. Ferriter-Wallace said, “Rob’s tenure started when there were only 7,500 runners and his final year was in 1996, the year of the 100th running of the Boston Marathon when 38,706 runners crossed the starting line.” In addition to his professional career and volunteer work with the HMC, Phipps held leadership roles on the Hopkinton Education Foundation and Hopkinton Parks and Recreation Commission. He also coached youth sports and donated to countless local organizations.

* Rogers retired last year after 18 years as Hopkinton Public Schools Facilities Director. As part of the HMC, he worked closely with the Boston Athletic Association to coordinate all the pre-marathon and marathon day activities at school locations, including the Athletes’ Village set up behind Hopkinton Middle School and High School. He found that planning for one year started almost as soon as runners left town the previous year. As the starter, he will get a different perspective of the marathon. “Early, early in the morning I used to be checking in at Center School then I’d get up to the Athletes’ Village before the roads closed,” he said. “It’ll be interesting to actually see the start.”

*Marcy, a Hopkinton native, first volunteered for the Boston Marathon on the race’s 100th Anniversary in 1996. She became part of the HMC soon after and spent about 15 years working with the push-rim wheelchair athletes at Center School. “Anne coordinated the wheelchair athletes at Center School for years and also was a dedicated HMC member who helped with the Information Booth,” said Ferriter-Wallace. “She was a right hand to me helping with Start VIP seating credentials, supplies, and seeing to runner needs and transports from the airport to N.E. Laborers Training Center.” Though Marcy resigned from the HMC several years ago, she remains an active volunteer in Hopkinton, giving her time and energy to many organizations, including Project Just Because, Live for Evan, Relay for Life, Bay Path Elder Services, and Special Olympics.

Start times of all waves of the 122nd Boston Marathon include:

Mobility Impaired- 8:40 a.m.

Men's Push-Rim Wheelchair- 9:02 a.m.

Women's Push-Rim Wheelchair- 9:04 a.m.

Handcycles & Duos- 9:25 a.m.

Elite Women**- 9:32 a.m.

Elite Men & Wave One- 10:00 a.m.

Wave Two- 10:25 a.m.

Wave Three- 10:50 a.m.

Wave Four- 11:15 a.m.