Lee LeBlanc Corrigan

Lee LeBlanc Corrigan is committing to getting up early five mornings a week to meet her friends around 5:30. Then they run and run and run some more. And on Patriots Day, she ran and completed the Boston Marathon for the second time. Lee made the 26.3 mile run in 3:49.47, cutting 10 minutes off her time from the 2001 marathon. The health education coordinator for Citizens for Citizens Family Planning, is a strong advocate of exercising at least 30 minutes a day. She said, “I know not everyone will want to go out and run a marathon but there is no doubt exercising even 30 minutes a day is a key to sustaining a healthy body.” As a member of the Greater New Bedford Track Club, she qualified for the Boston Marathon last year through a lottery. That was a matter of luck but she would have to prove herself in order to be invited back. Lee never ran a marathon before. Once she was chosen by lottery, Lee just put her mind and body into the concentrated effort of completing the effort. Her determination and training gave her a marathon time of just under four hours and ensured she would run again in the 2002 Marathon. “Running the Boston Marathon is unlike anything I could have imagined. I wrote my name on my arm and people would call out to me all along the way. They would yell out ‘Go Lee go’ and it was inspirational.” The mother of two ran much of the marathon with her friend and running companion, Cathy LaPlante, who finished several minutes in front of her. At the Boston Marathon finish line, her feet aching and her body exhausted, the Family Planning coordinator threw her hands up in the air in celebration of her accomplishment. Lee said that committing to something, whether it be her family, friends, job or running five mornings a week to achieve a goal, is an important part of her life.