On November 18, 2007 I ran my first marathon. With this challenge, I set a goal to raise $10,000 for charity. Yup… TEN GRAND. I realized that in order to raise the money, I needed a gimmick… something catchy that would get people excited. Under 3:11 was the answer.
My friends and family thought aiming for that time for a first marathon was CRAZY. They were partially right, but I’ve always tried to AIM BIG. Under 3:11, the designated qualifying time of males (ages 18-34) for the Boston Marathon, was HUGE. I trained like a lunatic for months… but when it came down to it, I wasn’t even close. I was on pace until a leg cramp got me.
BUT the idea got caught in people’s heads. A site that was intended for family and friends got over 10,000 hits. By the end, over $14,000 was raised and an enterprise was born.
Under 3:11. Dream Big.
Benjamin Gross
bhgross@gmail.com
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