MARATHON IN MEMORIAM
Wilcox man ran Boston thinking of Humboldt
Finishing the Boston Marathon is a challenge under the best of conditions.
Competitors in Monday’s 42.2-kilometre road race battled gruelling weather conditions that included high winds, steady rain and bitter cold.
Paul Duperreault of Wilcox handled those physical challenges, but his mind was on more than completing the marathon due to what took place on April 6.
That’s the day 29 people on the Humboldt Broncos’ bus were killed or injured when their vehicle collided with a semi-trailer truck while en route to a SJHL playoff game against the Nipawin Hawks.
“What happened with Humboldt really hit home with us because we’re hockey people,” Duperreault said.
Paul and his wife Kristy had connections to some of the people who were killed or hurt. Their son Ben and Humboldt’s Kaleb Dahlgren were both members of the Notre Dame Hounds during the 2016-17 SJHL season. Dahlgren survived the accident, but is still recovering from injuries. Ben spent this past season with the University of Regina Cougars.
Broncos head coach Darcy Haugan was among those killed in the crash. Duperreault got to know Haugan when he was an assistant coach with the Estevan Bruins in 2002. Estevan’s head coach at the time was Kristy’s father, Kelly Lovering.
“That’s why it hit us pretty good,” Duperreault said. “There wasn’t a day that went by after that happened that it wasn’t the first thing on our minds. We thought of the families, the people of Humboldt and of Saskatchewan. When they talk about the fabric of Saskatchewan, it was just unbelievable the people that it affects.”
The Duperreaults were familiar with all aspects of being a hockey family in the town of 322 people, which is home to the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame. They served as billets for out-of-town players and their own kids had ridden buses just like the Broncos.
Duperreault wanted to run the Boston Marathon for Humboldt. With that in mind, Kristy added Broncos logos on the front and back of his running shirt. Kristy also made up a sign showing her husband’s support for Humboldt.
“It was really emotional,” Duperreault said. “I can’t say enough about the people of Boston — and Humboldt isn’t any different. They are resilient like the people of Saskatchewan, the team and the people in Boston. I know (Humboldt) will get through this just like the people in Boston.”
Monday ’s Boston Marathon was the fifth anniversary of two bombs being detonated near the finish line, killing three and injuring hundreds. That year marked Duperreault’s debut at the marathon.
Duperreault finished the 2013
I can’t say enough about the people of Boston — and Humboldt isn’t any different.
marathon about 30 minutes before the blasts rocked the finish line. That meant Duperreault, Kristy and some of their friends were safely out of the blast area.
“We lucked out,” Duperreault said. “It was brutal. The streets afterwards were empty because everyone was told to stay off the streets.”
Duperreault returned for the 2014 Boston Marathon despite what had taken place a year earlier.
“I wanted to go back to show my support,” Duperreault said. “We weren’t going to back down and we were going to keep on doing the things that we were going to do in Boston, North America and Canada. We were resilient and I wanted to be part of that.”
Duperreault found that race to be inspirational.
“It was amazing because it was all Boston Strong and it was unbelievable,” he said. “The weather was beautiful and it was huge.”
He qualified for and completed the 2015 Boston Marathon, but skipped the 2016 and 2017 marathons due to other interests.
The 50-year-old lab technician at the Regina General Hospital finished Monday ’s race in three hours 39 minutes 38 seconds.
Duperreault noticed some Boston residents showing their support for the Broncos. Driving through the city, he saw homes with hockey sticks on their porches. Hockey fans had been encouraged through social media to place sticks on their front porches in tribute to the Broncos.
“(The finish line) was quite the scene and it was unbelievable,” Duperreault said. “When I was running, I was thinking about Humboldt and what they are going through. Compared to that, it was easy to push on. They were going through a lot worse than what I was going through and I knew I could get through this.”