Misquamicut runner was a Boston Marathon standout
When I called Andrew McCann of Misquamicut the day after he finished an astonishing 10th out of all Americans in Monday’s Boston Marathon, I expected him to be exhausted.
He did say the 70-degree heat was tough during the race, but he’s moving okay today, and even planned to go running again Wednesday.
This confirms my hunch that marathoners are actually cyborgs. Especially considering Andrew is 35, an age most pro athletes have retired.
Then again, marathoners often peak late.
He told me his goal now is to do even better in Boston 2025.
If so, it would continue a trend.
Last year, in a standout performance, Andrew was the 20th-fastest American, and 32nd overall out of 30,000 runners with a time of 2:21:06.
This year he was the 10th American and 29th overall, coming in exactly one minute faster. A minute’s a lot among elite finishers.
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Many consider Boston the world’s top marathon, and it’s among the six majors, including New York, Chicago, London, Tokyo and Berlin.
For a guy from Misquamicut to rank 29th overall in Boston is a reminder of having a world class athlete in our midst.
But you wouldn’t know it to meet Andrew.
He is a humble guy who splits his time between his family’s Misquamicut home and Cambridge, where – no surprise – he works for New Balance as global performance running manager.
But Andrew told me his heart’s in Misquamicut. He grew up there summers in a family home, lived there full-time for stretches, and will be settling back in soon for the season.
You’ll probably see a lot of him down there as he trains daily. It’s incredible what it takes to rank at his level. When building to a marathon, Andrew runs 120 miles a week, logging 9 or 10 in the morning, and another 5 or 6 in the evening. And often there's a single 24 mile Saturday.
When he runs in Misquamicut, he likes to end with an ocean dip, a bit of a reward. But he told me his runs are also great for the spirit – almost zen-like meditation. If Andrew’s ever stressed out, he’s a lot less so after a run.
When Andrew McCann wasn’t summering in Misquamicut, he was growing up in Syracuse, then went on to UMass Amherst, where he was a standout in the 5K and 10K.
Curiously, he left running behind after graduating in 2010, but, pressured by pals, tried the 2019 Baystate Marathon in Lowell as almost a lark.
He came in first.
It taught him that this was his event, and he’s been a serious marathon guy ever since.
So serious that among the 30,000 runners at Monday’s Boston marathon, he was among the 50 elite men invited to gather at the Fairmont Copley at 6:30 a.m. to be bused together to the race start in Hopkinton.
Andrew told me it was a quiet ride as everyone aboard got themselves centered. He was surrounded by some of the world’s best, many from Ethiopia and elsewhere in East Africa.
During the two hours before the gun, most runners stretched out on provided exercise mats. Andrew noticed some interesting differences. The Americans did warm-up shuffle jogs while the elite East Africans did high-stepping in unison, kicking up their knees.
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I was intrigued to hear most runners did pre-jogs of a mile or two up and down a blocked-off street.
I asked if that didn’t risk draining the tank.
Not really, Andrew said – the bigger problem would be starting stiff.
Finally, the elite 50 lined up in three rows of 15 or so each and were off at 9:37 a.m.
Andrew likes to start a marathon patiently, but the field went out faster than in previous years. That left him around 45th once everyone settled into their pace – an insanely good position, but not where Andrew wanted to finish.
Instead of trying to rush to catch up right away, his strategy was to do it gradually. And he did, slowly passing 15 or so others, especially in the race’s final half.
At that point, he said, most runners are giving it their best, so if you go by them, it will be hard for them to speed up and catch you. In Andrew’s case, none did.
It helped that for the last period of his training, he ran part of the Marathon route, going up the four-mile stretch of the race’s toughest ascents, including Heartbreak Hill in Newton, then back down and up them again. And again.
That helped him keep a good pace on Monday even after the hills from mile 20 on.
I told him I’d always wondered if performance in a marathon depends on the lungs.
“Aren’t you gasping for air?” I asked.
He said elite runners work on getting their aerobic capacity high, so the challenge is more about the legs and body. And your head, too. It helps, Andrew said, to keep telling yourself you believe you can do it.
His parents, sister and nephews were cheering him on at mile-5 in Framingham, and as he got close to the finish, Andrew gave a fist-pump to a group of friends who came to watch him. Being 29th, the crowd gave him a big roar too.
I asked about his aspirations from here.
Last February, Andrew made the cut for the U.S. trials in Orlando for the Paris Olympics, yet only the top three made it, and he didn’t have his best race.
But his Monday performance has buoyed him, and he plans to keep competing, hoping to do even better in Boston next year. And pursuing other marathons. Although Andrew says making the final cut for the 2028 Summer Olympics is likely out of reach, he hopes to get into the trials again. He would see that as an honor, and it's all about beating his personal best.
“Top 5 American in Boston would be amazing,” said Andrew.
And amazing for Misquamicut, and Rhode Island, too.
mpatinki@providencejournal.com
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Andrew McCann of Misquamicut finished 29th overall in one of the world's top marathons.
