Melissa Croshaw doesn’t consider herself a runner, although she has a unique way of shedding the label.
The 40-year-old Sammamish resident recently completed her first Boston Marathon and fourth marathon overall. Not bad for a woman who admits, “I hate running.”
While the physical stress and injuries that accompany a marathon are trying, the feeling of running alongside her two brothers in one of the most prestigious fitness events in the world helped all three persevere.
“We all had parts that were tough,” Croshaw said. “But we were all there to keep each other going.”
Her eldest sibling Jeff Stowell and brother Blake Stowell both live in Utah, where Croshaw qualified for the Boston at the Top of Utah Marathon, with her brothers playing a pivotal role. Both have competed in multiple marathons; Jeff ran his first at age 14 and has taken part in 100 mile long endurance races that involve running for 33 consecutive hours. Blake often plays the role of pacer and was in for a bit of a surprise the first time he paced his brother while training for an endurance race.
“I didn’t realize there is basically no running involved,” Blake said. “I started at mile-88 and it’s basically a 12 mile walk, telling stories.”
Blake and Jeff were also there when sister was attempting a last-minute qualification for Boston, following her path by car and shouting motivation.
“I wanted to hop in and run with her, but that isn’t exactly allowed by the rules,” Jeff said. “We gave as much encouragement as we could and just tried to be good cheerleaders.”
After qualifying, the only thing left for Melissa, who earned a basketball scholarship to the University of Oregon after starring at Sammamish High School, was finding a way to get her brothers on the course with her in Boston.
Unable to find a qualifier so close to the event, Jeff and Blake decided to try for a charity entry and raised over $12,000 combined for a pair of partnering charities leading up to the race.
“Thankfully the Boston Marathon has that option,” Jeff said. “We wanted to make sure we were there with her.”
If they hadn’t been, Croshaw may have never even finished the race.
Nearly halfway through, an injury she developed during training flared up, forcing Croshaw to a first-aid tent. Without the promise of finishing the race alongside her brothers, she may have stayed there.
“I’m pretty stubborn,” Croshaw said. “But it would have been that much more difficult.”
While Jeff, Blake and Melissa ran, they were joined by sister Kelye Kneeland, who lost upwards of 26.2 pounds in preparation, matching the length of the race in miles with pounds shed.
“She earned her trip just like the three of us,” Croshaw said of her sister.
But it was undoubtedly Croshaw who set the plan in motion by qualifying for the Boston and giving all four siblings a chance to take part in one of the world’s most recognized events.
“It was neat to start this journey together and end it together,” Blake said.
Josh Suman can be reached at 425-453-5045 or jsuman@bellevuereporter.com
