Boston Marathoner Giddens All Smiles for 26.2 Miles
Several weeks ago, second-year Sandhills Community College Cross Country Coach Kyndal Giddens finished in 801st place out of 7,433 female runners at the 125th Boston Marathon.
A former UNC-Pembroke Female Athlete of the Year and Peach Belt Conference Runner of the Year, she qualified for the event by way of her time at the Myrtle Beach Marathon in March of 2020. There she finished seventh in a field of 400 female runners and first in the 25-29 age group with a time of 3:16.
Because of the pandemic, the 2020 Boston Marathon was not held and this year's event was postponed from the spring until October 11.
Preparing for the Greatest Foot Race on Earth
In all, 20,000 runners started the race and 15, 374 completed the 26.2 mile course that begins in Hopkinton, west of Boston, and goes through eight towns before finishing downtown on Boylston Street.
"I was ready to go," Giddens said earlier this week during a workout in the weight room at the Dempsey Student Center. "I just stepped up to the starting line and started my watch."
A resident of Aberdeen, Giddens is an active member of the Southern Pines Run Club. She began training for Boston in June, getting up to 50 miles per week before a strained calf muscle suffered while cycling in August set her back.
"I had to take a week off and slowly come back," she said. "That was frustrating, but I cut my mileage and substituted running for cycling on some days. Cycling is great cross training because you're not pounding on your legs, but you're still getting the aerobic benefit from it."
Also making the trip to Boston were Gidden's husband Chris and her parents Jeff and Amanda Boykin.
"My husband doesn't run, but he's my biggest supporter and No. 1 fan," she said. "He kept me going through training.
"It's a lot. If you are married, or if you have kids, everyone is in it because it's so time-consuming and taxing. So, whoever is immediately around you is also training with you. That's just how it is."
There were an estimated 500,000 spectators at the race. The runners came from 87 countries and all 50 states. The field was divided into sections based on qualifying times. Each runner wore a bib with a chip that provided accurate timing throughout the race.
Gidden's parents arrived early on the Monday of the race and found a good spot to watch at Mile 26. Chris Giddens took an Uber ride to Mile 10. Later they all met up at the finish line.
Negotiating the Hills of Boston
In this her third marathon, Kyndal's target time was the 3:16 she ran at Myrtle Beach.
"It was a loose goal because this was the Boston and I had never run the course," she said. "But if I got close to my PR (personal record) I would be extremely happy and I did."
Giddens took advantage of the water and Gatorade handed out to the runners at every mile. She also brought along a gel supplement.
The entire course is hilly. One of four challenging hills in the second half of the race is a steep half mile known as Heartbreak Hill.
"Through it all, people you don't know are out there, taking time from their day cheering for you," she said. "There were people along the streets the entire way.
"I was smiling for 26.2 miles because I was having such a great time. I trained for this, I knew I deserved to be there. Don't get me wrong it was really tough, but it was such a fulfilling experience. How could you not smile?
"I'm so grateful I had the opportunity and the support system to do it."
Sandhills CC Athletic Director Mike Apple calls Giddens a great example of successful preparation and determined follow-through.
"Coach Giddens brings the same expertise and enthusiasm to coaching our athletes here at Sandhills as she does preparing herself for what I believe is one of the most difficult things in sports, competing in a marathon."
Giddens Qualified for 2022 Marathon
Benson Kipruto of Kenya won the men's race in 2:09.51. Also from Kenya, Diana Chemtai Kipyokei was the women's champion with a time of 2:24:45. Gidden's time qualifies her for the 2022 Boston Marathon in April.
"I'm up in the air about that, but will definitely run in some other marathons and other races, including half marathons," she said. "Your body has gone through a tremendous amount of stress. I was feeling it for a week after, soreness, just tired and very hungry.
"I'm going on week three and I'll start running more this week, get back into the weight room and back to normal."
Joshua and Samuel Patterson from last year's team, who now attend Missouri University of Science and Technology, sent supportive texts to her before and after the race.
The pandemic has hindered recruiting the past year. On Saturday October 23rd, 2021 this season's two Flyer runners, sophomore Austin Greene and freshman Gail Ceballos, competed at the NJCAA Division III Region 10 Championships in Martinville, VA.
"The goal is to have a full team and we're trying to make that a reality," Giddens said.
C. Bergmann