Larry Grogin was attempting his second Boston finish for charity, when terror stopped him short of his goal. So traumatized, he thought he was never going run again… he even questioned a lifetime of inspiring others to give back and set goals.
"Just before I was going to finish to make the turn…there was an unexpected finish and we watched those bombs explode," says Grogin.
Larry Grogin was running for Paul Newman's Charity that day. The 28-time Ironman finisher spent more than 30 years racing but had never not finished.
"They put up barricades very quickly between you and the finish line, and they said the race is over," Grogin said.
He considered himself done, too, and was left questioning why he was even in a marathon and what did it matter if he raised any money at all.
"It all seems so ridiculous for the sake of running 30 seconds faster - people were dying," says Grogin, "I was positive I was done there in that moment not to do any more racing."
However, the idea of quitting did not last long. Knowing that all eyes would be on Boston this year, and remembering the kids who depended on charity money for camps, he organized "Team Grogin" to plan for the race of a lifetime.
"We are going to run 250 miles and raise one dollar at a time, from Franklin Lakes to the start of the Boston Marathon," says Grogin.
It will not only an emotional trek, but a physical challenge as well for the 59-year-old chiropractor. The course he is taking has a 16,000 elevation gain with rolling hills all the way to Massachusetts. Then, he will run the 26.2 mile marathon.
"The greatest challenge is staying on course and remember that you are running for these kids, and then it's really effortless," adds Grogin.
When team Grogin gets to the Boston finish, they have a message for the world that they did not give up and let someone else decide what was right or wrong.
A logistical feat in itself planning a run like this – he will have a support van with family and friends. At the finish - hopes that miles turn into dollars and he'll have a big check for @Seriousfun the new name of Newman's charity - formerly Hole in the Wall Gang! Follow him on twitter at @lgrogin!
To donate to "Team Grogin", CLICK HERE.
