Wagners to run 2015 Boston Marathon
Jeff Wagner and his daughters Lauren, 24, left, and Brooke, 21, jog across the Tridge in Midland, April 17, 2015. They are running in the Boston Marathon Monday. This will be Jeff Wagner's second Boston Marathon but the first with his daughters.
(Jeff Schrier | Mlive.com)
MIDLAND, MI - Jeff Wagner isn't even going to look at his watch or the clock or the masses of runners passing him on the Boston streets.
The moment is more important than the time.
Wagner, the vice president at MidMichigan Health in Midland, will run the Boston Marathon on Monday for the second time in his life, a race he didn't expect to run again only because he is a "been there, done that" runner.
Jeff Wagner
Once was enough. Except he made a promise back in 2008 when he finished the Boston Marathon that he wouldn't come back, unless ...
His daughters never forgot the "unless" part.
"My dad said the only way he would ever go back to run Boston was if one of his daughters qualified too," Brooke Wagner said. "That was my main goal when I first started running marathons. He's not the type of person to run the same race over and over again.
"But for us, he would run it again."
Jeff Wagner, however, received an added bonus. Another daughter, Lauren Wagner, also qualified, giving the 52-year-old father two running partners.
Jeff Wagner will start Monday's race with the White Wave at approximately 10:25 a.m., while his two daughters will start in the Blue Wave at approximately 10:50 a.m. It is the first Boston Marathon for both women.
Jeff Wagner will wait for his daughters at the starting line, sacrificing his time for the opportunity to enjoy the race with his daughters.
"It's kind of a relief that we're not really racing it, we're enjoying it," Jeff Wagner said. "Both Lauren and I have had some setbacks in our training, so we're not going to hit our qualifying times at Boston.
"So we're just going to enjoy the run, enjoy running with each other. It's kind of nice to go in with that approach instead of having to hit a certain time. It's like a Sunday run with the family, except it's on Monday."
Getting to Boston was not easy. All three qualified at the 2014 Bayshore Marathon at Traverse City, with Lauren Wagner providing the biggest surprise.
Jeff Wagner of Midland displays the medal he received after running the 2008 Boston Marathon. Wagner and his daughters Lauren, 24, and Brooke, 21, are running in the Boston Marathon Monday. This will be Jeff Wagner's second Boston Marathon but the first with his daughters.
Brooke Wagner, a senior at Central Michigan University, was an all-Saginaw Valley League runner at Midland Dow. Lauren Wagner, 24, is studying for a master's degree at Saginaw Valley State University, but did not run in high school.
"I actually didn't start running until my junior year at Western Michigan," Lauren Wagner said. "My whole family runs. I got kind of addicted to the thrill of racing in college.
"The Boston Marathon was a goal for my little sister for a long time. She ran three marathons before Bayshore trying to qualify. She's wanted to go since my dad ran in 2008. I started training and running with her. I figured that if I'm running what she's running, I might as well try to qualify too.
"My dad keeps saying it's his last time. It's what makes this so nice, so fun, so special ... to be able to run this with him."
Brooke Wagner designed the running and training regimen for the entire family. Like her sister Lauren, it's her first time running the Boston Marathon. But it's not their first time at the marathon.
Brooke Wagner
"I was a freshman when my dad ran in Boston, and our whole family was there to support him," Brooke Wagner said. "I just loved it ... the atmosphere of racing was incredible.
"I totally wanted to go back. At first, I was working hard so I could go back with my dad. But after running four marathons, it turned into proving myself. It started to be for my dad, but now it's also for me too."
His daughters' determination, however, put some pressure on Jeff Wagner.
Lauren Wagner
"I knew Brooke was determined to hit the qualifying time, but then Lauren started training and was serious about it ... and when Lauren is determined to do something, she does it," Jeff Wagner said. "Then I got a little nervous. Uh-oh. They may end up both qualifying, so I better qualify. I had to ramp up my training. It would be tough for all of us if they both qualified and I would miss."
The three qualified, but another daughter, 27-year-old Kara Wagner, missed the qualifying time.
Kara Wagner was in the middle of training for a triathlon, focusing more on biking and swimming.
"She's done two Ironman events, and I did an Ironman in Wisconsin," Jeff Wagner said. "She pressured me a couple years ago to run the Mont-Tremblant Ironman in Canada with her a couple years ago.
"To do things like this with your kids is pretty cool. My bucket list is pretty good right now. We're checking them off.
"I'm blessed to be able to do this with them."
Boston Marathon
Saginaw-area runners
Kenneth Arguello, 54, Midland
Sharon Bade, 52, Frankenmuth
Eric Brenner, 40, Frankenmuth
Lori Brown, 49, Freeland
Sydney Bruestle, 24, Midland
Meagan Center, 26, Midland
Brenda Clark, 48, Fairgrove
Brandon Cushman, 24, Saginaw
Tobin Dust, 56, Saginaw
James Felton III, 38, Saginaw
Lindsey Gray, 23, Mount Pleasant
Steven Hansen, 63, Midland
Michael Jenkins, 51, Farwell
Sara Kasabian-Larson, 33, Alma
Andrew Koehlinger, 25, Midland
Earl Lentner, 52, Saginaw
Joaquin Luna, 54, Saginaw
William Pritchett, 52, Midland
Maggie Rettelle, 42, Midland
Lynn Sauve, 45, Midland
Bridget Staffileno, 51, Midland
Chris Swiecicki, 37, Midland
Rebecca Vander Sluis, 21, Mount Pleasant
Cindy Verwey, 58, Mount Pleasant
Brooke Wagner, 21, Midland
Jeffrey Wagner, 52, Midland
Lauren Wagner, 24, Midland
Rich Wells, 54, Midland
Nancy Whitehead, 56, Mount Pleasant