Here’s a fun Boston Marathon tradition: Jim Ryan, the dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, has once again run the race in honor of teachers.
Congratulations to everyone participating in today’s #BostonMarathon, including our own @DeanJimRyan -- running 26 miles for 26 teachers! pic.twitter.com/O5IEJL9sBw
-- Harvard Education (@hgse) April 17, 2017
Ryan asks the Harvard community to sponsor each of the 26 miles of the marathon as a way to raise money for financial aid for HGSE students. Each sponsor has named a teacher for Ryan to honor during his run. Those teachers are listed on Ryan’s running jersey, and each gets a T-shirt version of the jersey and a personal note from Ryan.
This year, Ryan honored 26 educators, including Maggie MacDonnell, the Canadian teacher who won a $1 million Global Teaching Prize. (Two additional educators who were named by other supporters of financial aid also made the list.) This was his seventh year running the marathon, and HGSE spokeswoman Casey Bayer said he’s pretty fast, usually finishing in just over three hours.
Thanks to all who yelled, cheered, & encouraged runners today during the @bostonmarathon; was an honor to run for teachers! Until next year. pic.twitter.com/RnUgUwDqKi
-- Dean Jim Ryan (@DeanJimRyan) April 17, 2017
Teachers were well represented at the marathon, according to local news outlets. Two Vermont elementary school teachers ran the race in honor of people with illnesses or disabilities—Lora Miele ran the race for her friend who suffered a severe stroke seven years ago, and Lisa Marks ran it for a 6-year-old boy with leukemia, according to WCAX.com.
According to CBS Boston, educator Kydani Dover ran the marathon for the first time in honor of her students at Excel High School in Boston. Dover is a program coordinator of Boston Scholar Athletes, a youth development program for student athletes.
“It’s important for students to know that there are those opportunities to really show students that they can do many things and do them well,” she said. “For me, supporting students is everything. Students are at the core of what I believe is essential, as far as helping our society grow.”