Yellowknife (May 07/04) - In the throng of 20,000 people who started the Boston Marathon on April 19, every runner had something in common.

Audrey MacDougal is busy scrapbooking paraphernalia she collected from the Boston Marathon. She was one of 20,000 runners to participate in the event. - Chris Puglia/NNSL photo

Each had their own unique story and reason for tackling the gruelling 42km race.

With the blazing sun bringing temperatures to a scorching 30C, Audrey MacDougal of Yellowknife stood amongst that sea of humanity, waiting for the starting gun to begin the last chapter of her own story.

It's a tale that began 25 years ago with scribbling on a single page.

"In 1978 I wrote myself a note. After reading about the Boston Marathon I was quite moved. There were people visually impaired and handicapped and of all ages going into this spectacular event," said MacDougal.

The note stated simply that she would one day run the Boston Marathon and her work towards that goal began.

Describing herself as a recreational marathon runner, the peppy 46-year-old mother of three trains two hours a day, six days a week. "I am not obsessed," she said.

Six in three months

In the last six months, including the Boston Marathon, she has run three marathons. "Typically, recreational runners do one a year," she said.

However, because the Yellowknife marathon is not a sanctioned qualifier, she had to run one in Toronto to qualify for the Boston Marathon.

Following her under-four- hour qualifying time in that 42km race, it was off to Boston.

But why did she devote 25 years of her life to this goal?

"The accomplishment in itself is gratifying," she said.

And if that wasn't enough, the opportunity to experience the cultural phenomenon that the Boston Marathon is was motivation in itself.

Aside from the tens of thousands of runners who challenge the body-breaking course (which in the past has killed) more than 500,000 spectators also take part.

"There were children with outstretched hands. All they wanted to do was touch an athlete," said MacDougal, who described her experience with almost zealous fervour.

She spoke with inspiring excitement and enthusiasm as she recounted the experience.

Of the 20,000 people who began the marathon, 4,000 dropped out.

MacDougal said there were those who came within 800 metres of the finish before collapsing, unable to finish.

"They had to be taken away by stretcher," she remembers.

But Macdougal was one of the 16,000 finishers. She came in 9,721 place, in the middle of the pack with a time of 4:28:42.

"Going across that finish line was wonderful, but the journey was well worth it," she said.

During that four-hour adventure, she said she saw some amazing things: participants in wheelchairs, visually impaired runners and those with other disabilities.

MacDougal tugged on the heart strings as well.

She dedicated the Boston Marathon to her father.

"My dad is unfortunately blind as of 2003," she said through a voice thick with emotion.

Bringing her medal to her father after the race, she gave it to him to feel.

"This one's for you dad," she said.

With the Boston Marathon goal achieved, MacDougal is looking for her next conquest.

"Triathlons," she said with a grin.

The William McDonald school running coach isn't sure if she will ever do a full triathlon, which includes a 4km swim, 180km bike ride and 42km run.

"I don't know if I'll do that, yet," she said.

MacDougal said she is hopeful her story will inspire others to reach for their dreams.

It doesn't have to be anything as body shattering as a marathon, she said.

"If you follow your dreams anything is possible," she said.