Devin Bates
Sports Intern, WSU 18
BOSTON – The 121st Boston Marathon took place on Monday, drawing in runners from all over the world as they navigated the historic course on a warm spring day. As the elite tier of runners headed to the starting line, the temperature hovered around 65 degrees, and there was not a cloud in the sky.
Amid the elite runners was Jason Ayr, a Westfield native and University of Massachusetts Amherst alumnus. It was his first time running in this group, but Ayr was no stranger to success at the Boston Marathon. Ayr finished 37th in 2015, and he has not landed outside the top 100 in all six of his appearances.
Westfield native Jason Ayr competes in the 2017 Boston Marathon. (Submitted photo)
Ayr did not set out with any particular finish in mind, but he did have one goal.
“Going in, I just had a general time goal that I was looking to accomplish,” Ayr said. Heading into a marathon, you never know what the day will hand you.”
As the race went on, it became clear that Ayr was having an exceptional day.
“The first 10 or so miles, you’re just looking to keep a pace that works for you and trying to stay loose,” Ayr said. “During the last stretch, you’re really digging into the well and trying to pass as many runners as you can.”
Ayr ended up finishing 32nd overall, crossing the finish line on Boylston Street at the 2:24:49 mark. In perspective, first place finisher Geoffrey Kirui finished with a time of 2:09:37. It was a strong finish for the former UMASS cross country runner, his best placement in his six years running the Boston Marathon.
For past few years, Ayr has been a member of the Western Mass District project, training with other runners with the goal of running in various competitions around New England. On their official website, the group says their mission is to “offer a forum for the post-collegiate distance runner and promote the benefits and enthusiasm of distance racing to the local Western Massachusetts community.”
“There’s a big club running scene in this area,” Ayr said. “Most of us at the Western Mass project are UMASS and Springfield College graduates. I’m great friends with everyone and we all knew each other in college, so it’s a good group.”
Along with his strong finishes in the marathon, Ayr also had a hand in helping the city of Boston heal after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Several days after the attack, Ayr created Run for Boston, a group composed largely of Western Mass District project runners that wanted to show their support for the city.
Ayr graduated from UMASS Amherst in 2010 after transferring from SUNY Buffalo in 2008. He competed in multiple meets during his career, finishing 11th overall at the Dartmouth Invitational in 2009. Before college, Ayr attended Westfield High School.
As he recovers from the marathon, Ayr is beginning to contemplate what the next move will be in his running career.
“Right now, I think I am going to take some downtime and recover, but once fall comes around there are plenty of marathons,” Ayr said. ”I don’t think I’d want to run in one before October, but we’ll see.”
At 29, Ayr hopes to continue to run and improve for as long as he can. Given his track record, it’s safe to assume you’ll see him at the starting line for a seventh time in next year’s marathon.
