A man from Nashua has just finished the Chicago Marathon with a world-best time for a Special Olympian.It was a time faster than even Thomas Cantara himself expected, but he’s just getting started.”If someone told me years ago I’d be running these times, I would have thought they were crazy,” Cantara said. “The fact that I came further than I thought I could do is just so much, and marathon has given me a new look on life in a way, and I want others that think they want to try marathon to see it from my point of view and accomplish more then they think they can imagine.” It was his 20th marathon, but even this seasoned runner said he hit a wall at around the 21-mile mark. He said his experience helped him through.”I just told myself I’m almost there, this is a walk in the park, stick to a comfortable pace the rest of the way if I have to,” Cantara said. That pace was even faster than even Cantara expected.It took only 2 hours, 36 minutes and 28 seconds to finish the 26.2 miles — a pace faster and a 6-minute mile on average.It’s 6 minutes faster than his previous personal record and good enough for 261st place out of an expected 40,000 runners.As for what’s next, Cantara said he wants to run even faster. “Just always try to make what I have and make it better every race,” Cantara said.Cantara’s next race is the Boston Marathon. He hopes he can improve his time even more.
A man from Nashua has just finished the Chicago Marathon with a world-best time for a Special Olympian.
It was a time faster than even Thomas Cantara himself expected, but he’s just getting started.
“If someone told me years ago I’d be running these times, I would have thought they were crazy,” Cantara said. “The fact that I came further than I thought I could do is just so much, and marathon has given me a new look on life in a way, and I want others that think they want to try marathon to see it from my point of view and accomplish more then they think they can imagine.”
It was his 20th marathon, but even this seasoned runner said he hit a wall at around the 21-mile mark.
He said his experience helped him through.
“I just told myself I’m almost there, this is a walk in the park, stick to a comfortable pace the rest of the way if I have to,” Cantara said.
That pace was even faster than even Cantara expected.
It took only 2 hours, 36 minutes and 28 seconds to finish the 26.2 miles — a pace faster and a 6-minute mile on average.
It’s 6 minutes faster than his previous personal record and good enough for 261st place out of an expected 40,000 runners.
As for what’s next, Cantara said he wants to run even faster.
“Just always try to make what I have and make it better every race,” Cantara said.
Cantara’s next race is the Boston Marathon.
He hopes he can improve his time even more.
