Following completion of the Tokyo Marathon earlier this month, Shirley, Kevin and Art Fagan can rightfully call themselves World Marathon Majors Six Star Finishers.
It’s a title that can be claimed only after completing the six Major Marathons — Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York.
“I’ve got a young son, and this more or less sets an example for him that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to,” said Art Fagan, 61.
Brothers Kevin and Art hail from St. Joseph’s, while Kevin’s wife Shirley hails from Point La Haye St. Mary’s Bay. Kevin and Shirley now call Kilbride home, while Art has moved to Calgary.
Art, who has run 25 marathons, can still recall crossing the finish line at his first major one in Boston in 2005.
“It was quite emotional, because it’s something you’ve never experienced before in your life,” he said. “When I got to 36 kilometers of the race, I got this extreme pain on the outside of my knees, and actually stopped… So I was hobbling along, and the next thing I know, someone tapped on my shoulder. And it was a gentleman from Australia, and he said, ‘Come on bud,’ and he put his arm under mine, and he got me going again. And so, we ran side-by-side, and we hit kilometer 42, and we were heading for the finish line… But I looked back, and about 200 meters back, he was on his knees, and I said, ‘He did it for me, I’ll do it for him,’ so I turned around and went back and got him across. So, out of the 25 marathons, it wasn’t my best race, but it was my most memorable.”
Kevin completed his first marathon in 2009 in St. John’s.
“I found that was the most emotional,” said Kevin, 63. “I cried when I finished my first marathon.”
Both brothers cite the 2011 Boston Marathon as one of their favorites.
“Myself and my brothers Art and Steve did it together,” said Kevin. “We had a good time, and there were a bunch of other Newfoundlanders in that marathon. That’s one of the highlights when you go to these marathons, and you meet all these other Newfoundlanders. You get to meet new people and have fun. There are so many nice people involved in the running community, and they’re really supportive of one another. When people get involved in running and they start meeting other people, I think that attracts them to keep at it.”
In fact, the Irish Loop Post ran a front-page story upon their return, as participants need to qualify for the Boston Marathon (along with the New York Marathon), and for three brothers to qualify for the same marathon is quite a feat.
“It’s tough to get into some of these races,” said Kevin. “Some of them, like Boston and New York where you have to qualify, the qualifying time is difficult to achieve. And that’s why most people can’t get this done, because Boston and New York are very difficult to get into because of the qualifying times.”
Runners typically put in six to eight months of training prior to a marathon. Art said that an understanding spouse is a necessity.
“You’ve got to have a partner in your life who’s understanding,” said Art. “Because, for pretty well 20 years, I would disappear for three hours every Sunday morning, to run. I would wake up at 6 a.m. and be gone… So, to succeed in this kind of life, you have to have someone who’s supportive.”
Art said he enjoys the competitive nature of racing, but also the camaraderie, while Kevin said running helps him manage stress.
“I find when I’m running, and I have different challenges at work or different issues to try and resolve, I find that often the answers come to me while I’m running,” said Kevin.
Kevin, who has run 17 marathons, suggests that beginners ease themselves into the sport.
“Don’t push too hard too soon,” he advised. “It’s something that you want to do gradually. Set smaller goals first, and then try and step up. When I learned to run for 30 minutes, it was a big deal. And when I got there, and was running 30 minutes all the time, I realized that if you keep going for that extra five, all of a sudden you get a second wind, you get more energy. And running 50 minutes versus 30 minutes is not that much different.”
Shirley, meanwhile, ran her first marathon in 2011, and has completed 10 marathons.
