Cordoba is Everett’s top female runner in Boston Marathon

  Sporting a time of 4:36:47, Alexandra Cordoba, 28, was the top female runner to represent Everett in the 126th Boston Marathon on April 18. Out of the six Everett participants, she finished second behind David Pirman, 39, who recorded a time of 4:15:59.

  Cordoba said she ran the marathon for the first time in 2019; however, a medical emergency forced her to stop just shy of 25 miles. “It was devastating to say the least,” she said.

  Cordoba said her training for this year’s race began in December 2021. “I trained on the actual course every Saturday morning with a bunch of the other charity teams,” she said, adding that she was running to raise money for the Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and “The Stepping Strong Center was born out of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing tragedy. Our team was able to raise more than $1.3 million for the Stepping Strong Center this year.”

  Cordoba also recognized her team’s coach, John Furey. “John organizes training calendars, educates us on injury prevention and supports us the entire way through,” she said.

  Speaking about the course itself, Cordoba said that for her, the most challenging section comes after mile 17 when runners encounter the infamous Newton Hills. Her favorite part of the course comes after reaching the crest of Heartbreak Hill. From there, the course takes runners through Cordoba’s alma mater, Boston College.

  “It was extra special and something I’ve always said I would do after being there during the tragedies of the 2013 marathon,” she said.

  Cordoba said she began running in 2016 while living in New York City. “Once I started to build a community of other runners around me, I knew that I could start challenging myself to go farther and tackle my goal of Boston,” she said. “The most enjoyable part of running has by far been the camaraderie of the charity teams and running for a purpose greater than myself.”

  Other Everett runners in this year’s marathon included Kara Pilotte, 33, who finished with a time of 4:44:35. She was closely followed by Filippo Mastrocola, 50, who recorded a time of 4:46:49. The final two Everett residents to complete the race were Erin Burns, 30, with a time of 5:18:54 and Emilee Guzman, 22, with a time of 5:31:43.