Morgantown man runs Boston Marathon, raises $10K for Red Cross

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — Monongalia County’s Austin Thomas was one of six north central West Virginians who ran the Boston Marathon on Monday , but for him, it was more than just finishing a race.

Thomas, who completed the 26.2 miles in 5:07, was running to raise money for the American Red Cross. In the lead-up to the race, he raised $10,581 for a cause that is close to his heart . Austin’s father’s life was saved by donated flood when he suffered a heart attack 11 years ago.

“I have a really high sense of pride and accomplishment and also thankfulness for all the support I received along the way,” Thomas said.

Sixty-three other runners also ran for the benefit of the Red Cross, raising a total of $558,000.

Austin told 12 News that the day was more hot and humid than he expected. At one point his legs cramped, but the spectators gave the runners a boost.

“The people who lined the route, they were generous, and they were providing us with their own bottles of water, slices of oranges, and some of them even had their garden hoses hooked up to their houses and ran down the street to spray with water and keep us cool,” Thomas said.

Thomas said he is proud to have completed the Boston Marathon, and he looks back at the past couple of months of preparation and fundraising with pride.

Thomas says that he plans to continue running marathons. His next one up is the Pittsburgh Marathon on May 5.

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