SW Florida runners are ready to tackle 130th Boston Marathon

Fort Myers runner Sandrine Eveque shown on a billboard by the Boston Marathon finish line.

For Fort Myers runner Sandrine Eveque, the race’s prestige begins with what it takes to reach the starting line.“No. 1, because the race is so sacred and so prestigious to get in,” Eveque said. “Boston, the way they do the entries, that’s what drew me so dear to this race, because you have to work for it. You have to earn it.”This will be her third Boston Marathon.“I’ve been calling myself class of the 130th Boston since I started training,” she said, adding that they would soon be “graduating.”Eveque knows how special Boston moments can become. During the 2024 race, one of her photos was captured and later featured on a billboard near the finish line in 2025.“I was really excited, and it was a very proud moment,” she said. “Out of 30,000-plus runners, what are the chances of me getting picked to be on such a gigantic billboard?”Still, Boston demands respect. Training in Florida means getting creative for the hills that define the later miles. Eveque often heads to Marco Island, using the bridges and hills there to simulate the course.“My goal is simply to say I qualified for Boston in Boston in my lifetime,” she said.

Pamela Tanner, 56, of Naples is going to run her 17th Boston Marathon in 2026.

For Pamela Tanner, 56, of Naples, Boston is no longer a goal. It is part of her life.This year will be her 17th Boston Marathon, all earned through qualification.“I did Boston qualify all 17,” Tanner said.She first ran Boston in 2004 after growing up in Massachusetts watching the race as a teenager and wondering how anyone could run that far.Once she qualified, everything changed.“It was just such an amazing experience,” she said. “It just has a vibe to it. I don’t even know how to describe it.”She still has family along the course and says the pull of Boston has never faded.“It never gets old,” she said. “I love going back there.”What makes Tanner especially remarkable is that she often requalifies at Boston itself, running a fast enough time during the race to secure her spot for the following year.Even so, she does not take it for granted.“I’m so grateful that I’m still able to do this,” she said. “I’m 56. I’m not getting any younger. It’s not getting any easier for sure.”For Tanner, the finish line never loses its meaning.“Every time there’s that famous turn, the right on Hereford and left on Boylston, all the magic is back,” she said. “It still feels like the first time I ran."

Heather Catlin of Naples is running her fourth Boston Marathon in 2026.

For Heather Catlin of Naples, Boston is a race and a return home.A Massachusetts native, Catlin is preparing for her fourth Boston Marathon and says what began as a one-time goal has become something she cannot let go of.“The first time I went, I thought if I did it once, that would be fine,” she said. “But now I’m so drawn to the whole atmosphere and the whole weekend.”Her family comes out to support her, adding to the experience. The finish line, she says, remains emotional.She recalls one of her most meaningful moments during the 2023 race, the 10th anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing, when a spectator handed her a small American flag that she carried down Boylston Street.“That really got me choked up,” she said.And when she crosses the finish line, that feeling returns.“I’m kind of in awe when I’m crossing the finish line and getting to do it again,” she said.

Another path to Boston comes through charity, where runners commit not only to training but to raising funds for causes that extend beyond themselves.McGillivray says those runners have earned their place as much as anyone.“They work just as hard training,” he said. “And on top of it, they’ve had to make a commitment to raise a significant amount of money.”He often refers to the late Susan Hurley, founder of CharityTeams, a platform that has helped hundreds of nonprofits and thousands of runners raise more than $42 million.“She used to say they were overqualified,” he said.

Albert “Rick” Ricciardi of Naples is running the Boston Marathon for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in honor of his wife.

For Albert “Rick” Ricciardi of Naples, who turns 73 after the race, that path is deeply personal.He is running for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in honor of his wife, who was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly before last year’s race. His daughter works there as a research nurse, which is how he became involved with the team. This will be his third year running with them.“This year has a little bit deeper meaning now,” he said.Ricciardi has been running since seventh grade and says it remains essential to both his physical and mental health.“If I get my run in in the morning, I can take everything the world has to throw at me,” he said. “My run kind of relaxes me and sets the tone for the day.”In his 70s, he sees running as a way to keep moving forward, both physically and mentally, as life evolves.“Raising money for cancer is just so important,” he said.

Amanda Dendis, 36, of Cape Coral is running her first Boston Marathon for Camp Shriver.

For Amanda Dendis, 36, of Cape Coral, the journey to Boston began years before race day.She spent nearly three years saving and preparing, knowing she wanted to run not just for herself, but for a cause.She is running her first Boston Marathon for Camp Shriver, a program that brings together children with and without special needs. The mission resonated deeply after her son was diagnosed with autism two years ago.“When I heard the mission, it just got me right in the heart,” she said. “I was like, yup, I have to run for this charity.”She had watched the race for years while training, imagining herself there one day.“I would stand in front of the TV watching the Boston Marathon while I was doing my long runs,” she said. “I just want to do this so bad.”Her entry did not come through a qualifying time, but it was no less meaningful.

When asked what makes the Boston Marathon so meaningful, McGillivray points to something simple.“I always say the toughest spot is signing the application,” he said. “It’s having the guts and the courage to commit to it. Then once you commit, you got to do the work. You got to earn the right.”And what happens after that, he says, is what makes Boston unforgettable.“You toe the line, you answer the gun, you run the course, you cross the finish line. And you get a medal, and you go home, and magic happens,” he said. “You go home feeling good about yourself, and what can be more important than that? That’s the foundation by which we accomplish everything in our lives.”That, he says, is what makes Boston “life changing.”“When people finish the Boston Marathon, it raises their level of self-esteem and self-confidence,” he said. “They feel they can almost do anything once they conquer a marathon, and in particular, Boston.”

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: For charity or themselves, SW FL runners ready for 2026 Boston Marathon