Herndon Man to Run NYC Marathon

Herndon resident Paul Repola said he was immedately interested in participating when he heard that teams from his employer, AOL, were going to be fundraising for Ronald McDonald House and running the New York City Marathon. 

About 23 teams from across AOL will participate while trying to raise $60,000 to build a music room at Ronald McDonald House-New York in honor of Rory Wheeler, an AOL employee who died of cancer in 2011, Repola said.

The teams are from the Dulles campus, New York offices and other locations throughout the United States. Other participants are friends and family of AOL employees who have signed up. 

Repola said they began planning for the event in the spring when AOL was told they'd have some slots available in the NYC Marathon. Each person running is tasked with raising $3,300 but they are encouraged to collect more than the goal amount, he said. 

The fundraising and physical training for the marathon are equally difficult, Repola said. "It really is a great cause," he said. "If we accomplish this it's something I'll always remember." He said he thinks of the run as a reward for hitting the fundraising goal. 

Repola has been working with a coworker who's been helping him train and go to the gym, and he's running on weekdays and weekends. "It's been fun though," he said. "It's been eye-opening." 

There are days when it's hard to get up and go to the gym, or look for more ways to spread the word and raise money, but Repola says he keeps pushing and tries to do something for the cause every day. 

This will be Repola's first marathon. He said he has previously run 5K races but he's ready to tackle a marathon. "On the day of the run I'm just going to go out there and run 26 miles," he said. "Hopefully."

Repola has raised funds so far by word of mouth, contacting friends and family, and kickball. The proceeds from a local kickball tournament against Raytheon and ComScore went to the cause after AOL's kickball team won. 

Running a marathon is something he's always wanted to do, Repola said, and he'll be happy to be able to cross it off his bucket list. "You're the one that's pushing yourself to go and do it," he said. 

The ING New York City Marathon will be held Nov. 4. To find out more about Ronald McDonald House-New York or donate to the cause, visit Repola's fundraising page online. 

(Editor's note: Patch is part of AOL.)