Just north of Boston, runners jog along the breathtaking, rocky coastlines in Marblehead, Massachusetts, a quiet town so small that it doesn't even have its own gas station. Before moving to Portland, Oregon, top American marathoner Shalane Flanagan spent her childhood soaking in those views, running on the narrow, winding roads past mom-and-pop shops.
"On my way to work I used to see her every now and then running," said Darcy Gilbo, a runner and Marblehead resident of 15 years. "It's really something to watch because she's so smooth, effortless, and makes it look really easy."
At Marblehead High School, Flanagan played soccer and swam in the winter, but chose to focus on cross-country her sophomore year. She excelled, winning the Massachusetts state title that same season. Today she's one of the favorites to win the Boston Marathon on April 21. She finished fourth last year.
Jane Clayton, whose daughter grew up with Flanagan, said she's amazed by Flanagan's running success and that watching Flanagan's recent segment on "60 Minutes" was surreal.
"It's hard to wrap your mind around it that this is where she's ended up," Clayton said.
Even if they don't know her personally, many residents know of Flanagan. Bruce Whear, who has lived in Marblehead his whole life, said locals are proud of their hometown hero.
"She really shows that hard work can pay off," Whear said. "She is really something."
Since becoming a video producer for Runner’s World in 2014, Derek has captured such historic moments as Meb Keflezighi and Desiree Linden’s Boston victories and Amy Cragg’s win at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, and Galen Rupp and Shalane Flanagan breaking the tape in Chicago and New York, respectively.
