Ava, Savanna, David & Elizabeth Bowman

David Bowman of Houston was one of the 30,000 participants in this year’s Boston Marathon. An avid runner, David completed the 26 miles, 385 yards in 3.37:07. This was his first time running the Boston Marathon, but his 7th Marathon: three in Houston, one Boston, Austin, New York and Chicago.

The Boston Marathon is considered to be one of the more difficult marathon courses because of the Newton hills, which culminate in Heartbreak Hill near Boston College. While the three hills on Commonwealth Avenue (Route 30) are better known, a preceding hill on Washington Street (Route 16), climbing from the Charles River crossing at 16 miles (26 km), is regarded by Dave McGillivray, the long-term race director, as the course’s most difficult challenge. This hill, which follows a 150-foot (46 m) drop in a 1⁄2 mile (800 m) stretch, forces many lesser-trained runners to a walking pace.

The course runs through 26 miles 385 yards (42.195 km) of winding roads, following Route 135, Route 16, Route 30 and city streets into the center of Boston, where the official finish line is located at Copley Square, alongside the Boston Public Library. The race runs through eight Massachusetts cities and towns: Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Boston.

David is the grandson-in-law of Johnny and Joyce Rhyne of Port O’Connor.