In 1988, Brian Hydro began running in preparation for a staple in his life. Years later, Hydro continues to run — now simply for the passion of it.

Along with that passion, Hydro has also endured the pain.

The Jim Thorpe native recently completed his first Boston Marathon in a time of 3:38:11. It all began simply — with his son Sam, who just finished his collegiate career at Missouri Western State University.

It proved to be a test of mettle and grit, leading up to the event as well as during the race — a story set to inspire.

“I began running in preparation for Army basic training,” said Hydro, who served a combined 21 years on active and reserve duty and is now an electronics technician at Tobyhanna Army Depot. “I was usually one of the top three finishers in the two-mile test through basic training and the radio school that I attended.

“My son joined cross country in seventh grade and track in eighth grade, so I would run with him and his teammates during summer practices. I did a few five-, 10- and 15Ks and was able to run respectable times, so I ran and raced on and off for a few years.”

Hydro pursued his interest and increased his mileage, eventually competing in the Ironmasters 50K in Pine Grove in 2014 and Wellsboro’s Green Monster 50K six months later, where he placed third in his age group.

From there, the thought of working toward running’s “Super Bowl” entered his mind. A New York-based race would be the trigger.

“I continued to run shorter races here and there for fun, but never really followed a strict training plan,” Hydro said. “Sometime in 2022, I started thinking about the Boston Marathon. I texted a friend who might be interested and asked if he wanted to try to qualify. So we agreed on the Wineglass Marathon (Corning, New York) as our qualifying race.”

In his pursuit, Hydro soon discovered the setbacks of training — and the pain that can come with running.

“I knew I needed a time of 3:35 or better to qualify,” Hydro said. “I got a virus in early spring and had a high-calf strain late spring. After that, my training went well leading up to the event.

“About a week prior to the race, I had some foot pain but assumed it was inflammation from the higher volume of training. I never got it checked out by a doctor. The pain got worse during the marathon, but I was still able to keep pace through 17 or 18 miles. I backed off a bit since it continued to get worse. I just wanted to finish and did it in 3:14:21 — a bit more than 20 minutes under the standard for my age. My left foot had a fifth metatarsal fracture that fully broke during the event.”

As a result of the injury, Hydro didn’t return to running until early spring of 2024. Yet fate wouldn’t be on his side.

He dealt with shin splints, a virus and a bout of bronchitis that nearly derailed his Boston quest. Hydro finally returned to training in early March — about seven weeks before the race.

“I decided to just make the best of it and build up my mileage without getting sick or injured,” Hydro said. “I was only able to build up to three weeks of 30-plus miles per week, and my two longest runs were 14 miles. I did a two-week taper and felt very strong and energized for the marathon.”

Still, Hydro knew he wasn’t at full strength.

“I knew I had to run a slower pace to go the distance and not crawl across the finish line,” he said. “I went out about 45 seconds per mile slower than my qualifier event and fell off pace later in the race. I finished in 3:38:11 — just about a minute per mile slower than my qualifier.”

Through it all, it was still well worth it.

“The Boston Marathon was a lot of fun nevertheless,” Hydro said. “The weather couldn’t have been nicer. I knew what I was in for with my disrupted training. The atmosphere from the fans the entire race was more than I anticipated. I almost got emotional coming down Boylston Street.”

His son watched his father endure the highs and lows and battle through them with an increased sense of fortitude.

“Before his first marathon, he was very, very confident,” Sam said. “Not only was he in great shape, but he also was mentally very sharp and knew he was capable. One week out, he dealt with a very unfortunate injury, which created a huge scare. We communicated and really emphasized doing what he could the day of the race, and just getting through it by any means necessary. After his first marathon, he was still riding that confidence. He had broken a part of his foot and still managed to run a 3:14 marathon. I’d say this was one of the greatest accomplishments I’ve seen from him. Being able to do that on a serious injury is amazing to me.

“Prior to Boston, he had been in a rough place dealing with both injury and sickness. He did what he could in the weeks leading up to the race to ensure he’d be able to show up that day and complete the marathon. After Boston, he seemed pretty happy to be there and experience the beauty of the Boston Marathon.”

The elder Hydro has come to view the sport in full circle.

“I really enjoy the overall training that it takes to compete in running events,” Hydro said. “It’s more than just a training plan. It’s race-specific track work, strength training, recovery, sleep and nutrition — a big mixture of variables that need to be constantly attended to and adjusted.”

Since his dad ran with him in junior high, Sam has seen his father’s interest steadily increase.

“I would say he is borderline obsessed with the sport of running,” Sam said. “I can speak for him when I say it’s like a rabbit hole. Once you go down it, you become more and more bought in and interested in the sport. He takes his recovery and training very seriously, as any serious professional should.”

Hydro wasn’t totally enthralled with the road to get there. The 57-year-old may have done his last marathon — but he hasn’t totally closed the door.

“I enjoyed marathon training, but I didn’t love it,” he admitted. “I won’t dismiss another in the future, but I’m planning to drop to the half and maybe do a masters track 5K.”

On the calendar ... This Saturday, two races will take place in the area:

The annual Lisa Napoletano Running with the Angels 5K will be held in Jim Thorpe. It is held in memory of Napoletano, a former Marian Catholic cross country and track runner who died from injuries sustained in an ATV accident in April 2020.

A one-mile and a kids’ race will also be held. For more information, visit www.runsignup.com.

The 11th annual Raising the House 5K will be run in Palmerton. It celebrates the memory of Blaine House, a former teacher at Towamensing Elementary School, who died at age 50 in 2013.

For more information, visit www.raisingthehouse.org.

Jeff Moeller has been an active runner since 1982. He has participated in five half marathons and numerous 5Ks and 10Ks.

Hitting the Road is always looking for running stories and ideas. Email them to tnsports@tnonline.com.