Matt Nolan is running the Boston Marathon in honor of his late mother, Bonnie. Photo: Courtesy of Matt Nolan
Matt Nolan will run his first marathon this month. It happens to be the Boston Marathon.
Why it matters: Nolan is running in honor of his late mother, Bonnie, who died in December after battling pancreatic cancer.
State of play: He's one of more than 500 North Carolinians who will run the Boston Marathon this year.
Context: Boston has long been one of the world's most renowned road races. It's among the seven World Marathon Majors, along with New York, Chicago, Tokyo, London, Berlin and Sydney.
How it works: Athletes either qualify for Boston, run on behalf of a charity or support other athletes in their quest to cross the finish line.
What to expect: More than 32,500 people will participate in the 130th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 20. You can watch it on ESPN2 beginning at 9am.
Roughly 140 participants call Charlotte home, not counting the city's surrounding suburbs.
The big picture: Nolan, a Muskegon, Michigan, native, began running to focus on his health. It's cheaper than a gym membership, he tells Axios. He's run 13 half-marathons over the last decade.
"Seeing others in this community tackle the challenge took away my excuses and helped inspire me to consider it a possibility," Nolan says.
