WESTFIELD – Westfield Police Capt. Michael McCabe has been selected to be part of an exclusive team at the NU Hartford Marathon and Half Marathon in Connecticut this October.
McCabe, 52, was nominated along with more than 50 others and selected by a committee to join the 10-member Aiello Inspiration Team. The 10 people chosen for the Inspiration Team embody “Charity, Children, Community & Health,” and were chosen for their contributions and dedication to inspire others. McCabe and the other nine members of the team will run in the Hartford Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K, which takes place on Saturday, Oct. 11. Each member will be profiled in New England Runner magazine and the NU Hartford Marathon race publication.
As a board member and volunteer, McCabe has helped raise more than $100,000 for the Westfield Boys and Girls Club. He mentors runners through a local running club he started, volunteers as a high school cross country coach and has participated in many other marathons for charity, including the Boston Marathon, New York City Marathon, the Noble 5K Road Race, Run Westfield, and the Mass Dash.
Despite that impressive resume, McCabe was humbled by the news that he was selected for the Inspiration Team.
“I’m not sure who nominated me, but I don’t belong on that list,” he said. “I owe everything to the people around me. Raising funds, mentoring – it takes a lot of work, and I’m lucky enough to have a core of individuals around me that are willing to support me.”
NU Hartford Marathon Race Director Beth Shluger said McCabe was chosen because he “stood out as someone who demonstrated commitment to the community.”
“We have over 50 nominations for this 10-member team, and every one was worthy,” Shluger said. “Mike is one of those wonderful, wonderful stories that is an inspiration to others. By using Mike’s and the other nine people’s stories, we hope people will understand that this is not just a regular road race. The people that are out there running are doing it for bigger reasons than themselves, and they are role models for kids and adults. We hope it will inspire others.”
One of McCabe’s most inspiring stories has to do with his involvement with “Sofia’s Cancer Crushers.”
Massachusetts State Trooper Mike Blanchette and his wife, Agawam Police Officer Jennifer Nardi-Blanchette formed the team after learning that their then seven-year-old daughter, Sofia, had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. McCabe joined the team and ran a portion of a two-day, 200-mile run from Mount Greylock to Boston to raise money to benefit the Jimmy Fund.
“Kids didn’t do anything to put themselves in a disadvantaged situation,” McCabe said. “If I can help children, my role as a human being on this planet is to help.”
The Hartford Marathon Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit organization founded in 1994 to create and manage fitness events that inspire people to be healthy and fit. Located in Glastonbury, Connecticut, the Hartford Marathon Foundation organizes nearly 42 annual athletic events, including the Hartford Marathon, and 25 training programs. For more information, visit www.HartfordMarathon.com and on Facebook at HMF Events.
