Cy Fixen runs in Boston Marathon

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Click Boston with his parents, and was joined there by his brother and sister-in-law for today’s marathon.

“I thought those people were crazy,” Fixen said, just before he boarded his plane at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. “I lived in Boston for a year. When I attended my first marathon, cheering people on, seeing how the runners looked so into it, I got hooked. There was so much energy, and the crowd was amazing.”

After attending his first marathon as a by-stander, Fixen’s drive to become a runner at the Boston Marathon has been a six-year journey.

“During the week I run anywhere from 5 to 10 miles a day,” Fixen said.

But these days are just recovery days from his Saturday and Sunday runs.

“I run short runs or take off a day after running 20 miles on the weekend,” he said.

Fixen has run two other marathons. To qualify for the Boston Marathon, he needed a time of less than 3 hours and 10 minutes. Fixen completed his first marathon in 3 hours and 18 minutes and his second in 3 hours and 6 minutes.

“The [South Dakota] weather made training challenging,” Fixen said. “You have to find somewhere you can run.”

When Fixen is not out running along county roads and highways, he is at the Wellness Center either running on treadmills or the elevated running track.

Fixen said running is his “stress relief.”

“I have been running less in preparation for the marathon, and my body is getting anxious to run,” Fixen said. “I have a lot of stored-up energy.”

Fixen said his parents have been supportive of his participation in the marathon.

“They love it,” he said. “I think they think I am a little crazy.”

See The Collegian on Wednesday for Fixen’s results and to read about his experience.