Mary Bazzano-Reeve and Margaret Alexson run for health and fun

By Colleen Gundlach

Passion and excitement shine from Mary Bazzano-Reeve’s face when she talks about running. It is a sport to which she had never aspired, but one that has led her and her sister, Margaret Alexson, to marathons across the county. During the past 12 months, the identical twin sisters have run in races Boston, the Florida Keys and Big Sur, California.

The pair, who is Norfolk born and bred, haven’t always been runners. Margaret began running by herself four years ago. “When I saw how much healthier and happier Margaret was,” Reeve says, “I decided to join her.” Both women had previously been smokers with sedentary jobs, so it was a major change. They threw away the cigarettes, laced the running shoes and have never looked back.

They started out training on the Norfolk Memorial Day Five-Mile Race route and now run five miles every day, and at least nine to ten miles a day on the weekends. They are often seen on Norfolk’s roadways, and sometimes as far away as Canton, when they decide to take a run to The Shoppes at Farmington Valley.

The first marathon in which the twins participated was in Hartford in 2012. They have quickly moved on to much longer and more challenging races. Qualifying for the Boston Marathon this year was a big goal for both women. Reeve says, “Boston was a very emotional experience. Just walking through the gate brought tears.” Alexson finished the 26.2 mile run in three hours and 18 minutes and Reeve in three hours and 34 minutes. “My sister can run and talk at the same time,” says Reeve. “She talked to me through the whole race!”

Reeve had suffered a stress fracture in her foot prior to the Boston event, so she actually ran without any last-minute training. Not willing to slack off after their Boston achievement, the twins boarded a plane for Big Sur, California a day later. They were among the 380 runners who were chosen to participate. It was grueling terrain, from Carmel to Monterey, changing from mountains to seashore within miles. “The very best part of the Big Sur race, though,” Reeve says, “is that every step is for charity.” The twins raised $1,700 for the Lazarex Cancer Foundation.

The Boston experience was on city streets, with cars driving by as the participants ran the route. In Big Sur, they ran from Carmel to Monterey, with roads on the marathon route closed to traffic. “These were two totally different runs, each beautiful in its own way,” says Reeve.

The longest marathon the twins have participated in was in the Florida Keys, where they ran from the town of Marathon to Key West, a total of 50 miles. “It was an epic run,” Reeve says. “As we ran over the Seven Mile Bridge with the ocean on both sides of us, all I could think was that it doesn’t get any better than this.” The twins won fourth and fifth place overall in this marathon and crossed the finish line holding hands.

The sisters have participated in the Norfolk Memorial Day Road Race for many years. “The best part about the Norfolk race,” says Reeve, “is that the proceeds go to scholarships for Norfolk kids.” This year, they helped out with the race, so that other volunteers could run.

In November, the pair will be heading to the New York Marathon, where they hope to beat their current records. Between now and then, they are open to whatever marathons catch their attention. “Running is such a good feeling – an addiction. It puts me in a better frame of mind,” says Reeve. “Margaret and I are each other’s best friend, and we are doing what we love. Life couldn’t get any better.”

Photo courtesy Mary Bazzano-Reeve and Margaret Alexson.