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|| SportsShooter.com: News Item: Posted 2008-04-23
Shooting Boston on the Run
Freelance photographer Tom Sperduto ran and photographed the Boston Marathon on Monday.
By Tom Sperduto
Tom Sperduto after finishing the Boston Marathon on April 21, 2008.
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Like many defining moments in my life, the road to my first marathon began by putting my foot in my mouth and too much alcohol in my system. I may have just put out my cigarette as I declared to my father, an 11-time New York City Marathon finisher, "I am going to run the New York City Marathon."
Little did I know at the time that those words would also lead to me to run the Boston Marathon and photograph it along the way this past Monday.
It was on the ride home from my father’s house, with my wife Jen driving, that my promise began to sink in. Yes, I was slowly sobering up, and I wasn’t a happy camper. "Damn, I hate running."
My wife sighed and I can see her trying to hide her smile. I secretly believe she likes when I put myself in these awkward situations. I could almost hear her thinking "serves you right for making me drive again." Or she may have been thinking, "Oh boy, here we go, let the stress train roll on in." I have never been one to casually achieve my goals. I stress about them endlessly, often needlessly. I obsess over them constantly, and when I complete them I forget about them almost instantly and move on to the next chapter.
The thought of running the New York City Marathon seemed like an impossible task at the time. I was 215 pounds, a few cheeseburgers too many for my 5' 7" frame, and I was recently at the VA hospital for breathing problems. The doctor felt my shortness of breath might have been the result of the four months I spent at Ground Zero in New York City following 9/11 as a Coast Guard photographer.
This may have been enough ammunition to get me out of my promise. But, there is something about being married to a woman like mine that makes you, if nothing else, a man of your word. With my IPOD loaded with the original ROCKY soundtrack, I hit the streets. Day one had me home before finishing my first mile.
I kept at it. I learned that running comfortably for me was the key to running farther. With every run I felt better. Running was becoming fun and I soon looked forward to my morning runs. I finished the New York City Marathon comfortably and I no longer hated running. I was hooked.
My joy of running was quickly becoming a passion. I thought I would see my wife cringe the day I told her I was going to start training for my first Ultra Marathon. "You’re crazy," she said, but didn't look surprised, maybe even happy. Running had slowed me down mentally in a positive way. I was more focused. My raging case of ADD only had me bouncing off the walls a few days a week instead of every minute like the pinball machine she married. This run, a 50 mile run in Maryland this November, as did my first marathon, seems impossible. But, there is a great joy in the mystery of not knowing. I often think about what it will feel like when I cross the finish line at mile 50. I have always thought of myself as a seeker, both as a photographer and a person, and the real joy for me is the journey. Finishing is just the reward and the joy in that is momentary. It’s the journey that I remember. It’s in getting there that I can't imagine feeling more alive.
Photo by Tom Sperduto
Pasta is king the night before a marathon.
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It was on one of my long training runs on the New Jersey Tow Path that the words of my friend and mentor Joe McNally rang in my ears. It was the first time he looked at my portfolio. In my heart I believe he was trying to find something positive to say about a mess of pictures that had little direction or passion. My life was consumed by photography, I lived behind my camera, but there was little passion in my pictures. "Find something you are passionate about and shoot it," Joe said. That was many years ago and those words still ring in my ears. They were ringing loudly that day on the Tow Path as I realized I could connect the two.
I am now working on a personal photography project about Ultra marathon runners. This project has me scheduled to travel and photograph some of the elite runners in the Ultra marathon community. But, it's the non-elite that really interest me. In every community there are your underdogs. It's those to whom I relate. It's the underdog who scratches and claws his way to the finish line that brings tears to my eyes and puts courage in my heart. It's the greatest joy I have seen through my camera, and the Ultra marathon community is full of them.
When I received word through my e-mail that my name was pulled out of a hat and I was accepted into the Boston Marathon through a Coast Guard lottery, I was overjoyed. One of the many sayings about the Boston Marathon is "All Roads Lead to Boston" but I knew my road would never take me there. Boston is for elite runners, those who qualify. I am the turtle at the back of the pack that dances a jig anytime I break a 10-minute mile. My passion is for distance. Speed just isn’t my thing. So when I realized I wasn't going to be patting any Kenyans on the back as I passed them up the infamous Heartbreak Hill, I decided to combine my two passions and photograph the Boston Marathon on the run.
Photo by Tom Sperduto
Sperduto shot this picture while running the Boston Marathon on April 21, 2008.
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I first considered carrying my Nikon D3 with a fixed 50. As much as I have no need for speed, I still wanted to impress my wife with a respectable time on a challenging course. I decided on a Nikon Coolpix S550. The camera is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and the vibration reduction really helped out about 20 miles into the run. One nice thing about photographing a marathon while running is that it’s a nice distraction from the pain in your legs and lungs. You can even stop and walk for a minute and the screaming fans may think you are composing the perfect shot when in fact you are shooting your shoelaces while trying to catch your breath.
Completing the Boston Marathon and shooting the race while running was one of the greatest days of my life. It’s been three days since, and the memory is already fading behind upcoming schedules, assignments, new distractions and challenges. I plan on photographing my 50-mile race (against myself) as I did the Boston Marathon. Who knows? After I finish that journey I may set my sites on one of the 100 mile Ultra Marathons. One way or another, I'll be there, and I'll always have the pictures.
(Tom Sperduto is a freelance photographer based in New Jersey. You can see more of his images on his member page: http://www.sportsshooter.com/tomsperduto.)
Related Links:
Tom's member page
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