Urbandale man pushes through calf, Achilles pain to cross Boston Marathon finish line

BOSTON (KCCI) - Thousands across the country are recovering Tuesday after running the Boston Marathon.

That includes Tom Penningroth, of Urbandale, who crossed the finish line despite dealing with calf and Achilles problems that nearly forced him to stop.

Penningroth had been training for the race since last fall, but the pain set in right around the 10-mile marker.

He said the environment and community of the race made him push through.

“The crowd is just so into it, and you go through those communities on the way into Boston,” Penningroth said. “They really take a lot of pride in turning out the numbers in their own little town. So they’re out there cheering their lungs out, and it gives you an extra boost of energy.”

Penningroth also ran the race in 2008.

This time around, he said he noticed more positivity as he was running the course, possibly because he said it was great weather for running.

This year’s race was themed “Boston Strong,” as it marked 10 years since the Boston Marathon bombings that killed three people and injured 260 others.

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