Running the Marathon a Family Affair for the Keenans

by Melissa Eyre and Martha Keenan

Running the KeyBank Vermont City Marathon is something the Keenan family plans on every year. “We do some training together but not a lot,” says Martha. “It's the comraderie of the day that we love. That and working on improving our time and having fun. We've pretty much got it down to a routine in the morning and there are a few nerves that show up in grumpiness.”
Three members of the Keenan family ran as a relay team in this year’s marathon. Joe Keenan, a firefighter in Burlington, ran the first leg. This was his sixth year of relay running. The team members alternate legs each year so no one gets stuck with one leg all the time. “Joe runs to stay fit,” explains Martha. “My son, Matthew, is 19. He started running crosscountry in 8th grade and has continued ever since,” she says. “He ran in the relay for the first time his sophmore year in high school and found it a really fun and uniting type of event. My other son doesn't run,” explains Martha, “but he comes and carries the backpack, gets us drinks and cheers us on. We all support each other and it helps us learn that there is no being the best, just each of us doing our best that helps the team.”
Martha has been a runner on and off ever since the 6th grade. “Never very quick but I've always loved it,” she says. “This was my seventh year doing the relay.” Another Burlington firefighter, TJ Barrett, has run the marathon with the Keenan family for the last four years. “He likes the third leg and has always chosen that one. This year we had his fiance as our fifth member, and I think we have the team we want for the future! This was our best year ever, 3:34:15, and we came in 61st for our division. We had a blast.”
In addition to running the marathon each year, Martha also participates in races that support a need. She will run in the Ribbon Run on July 19 to benefit the Cancer Patient Support Program at Fletcher Allen, and the Sunshine Fun Run on October 5 to benefit the Sunshine Fund at CVU. “I like the community that is created by runners and their willingness to help others,” she says, “this is really apparent at the marathon when everyone cheers everyone on and if anyone needs help, they are there. It’s a great group of people.”