Skorpen realizing dream early

A year ago, Bucksport’s Beret Skorpen sat back on Patriots Day, turned on the TV, and watched as some of her peers participated in the 101st Boston Marathon.

As a runner, she appreciated the effort it took to qualify for the race. And as a relative rookie racer, she didn’t think she was quite ready to take that step.

What a difference a year makes.

When an estimated 12,000 runners toe the starting line in Hopkinton, Mass., at noon Monday for the 102nd version of the 26-mile, 385-yard classic, the 35-year-old Skorpen will be among them. Eighty-four other Mainers are expected to join her in the race.

“I watched the Boston Marathon last year and thought, `Some day I’ll do that,’ ” Skorpen said.

“Then I started running with some members of Sub 5 [Track club], and people I talked to thought I might be in good enough shape to qualify for the race.”

Needing a 3:45 to qualify, Skorpen turned in a blazing 3:30 in her marathon debut at the Bay State Marathon.

Skorpen, who works as the manager of the Maine Maritime Academy bookstore in Castine, said after years of on-and-off recreational running, she decided to get a little more serious three years ago.

“Six months before my 32nd birthday, I decided to give myself a present by losing weight and getting fit,” Skorpen said.

“Then, on my birthday, I gave myself another present by running 15 miles.”

In all, Skorpen said she has shed 40 pounds while becoming a serious road racer, and says she’s looking forward to taking in the Boston experience with her family.

A knee injury that curtailed some of her winter training has slowed Skorpen, but she says that’s OK.

“Right now my only goal is to finish without running in much pain,” she said, pointing at four hours as a good goal.

For Will Wedge of Brewer, the quest to qualify for Boston began three years ago when he looked in the mirror and decided he’d had enough.

“I was overweight, I knew I had to lose about 20 pounds, and I started running recreationally,” said the 36-year-old Wedge.

From there, Wedge said his personality took over.

“I’m very goal-oriented,” he said. “I figured that if I’m going to run, I might as well try to get to the Boston Marathon.”

He succeeded this year, qualifying with a personal best of 3:12.

Wedge said he has received a lot of support through his job as manager of the Broadway Shop ‘n Save. But with that support comes a little bit of pressure.

“I’m so nervous I can’t even sleep,” Wedge said. “I’ve quite a fan club I don’t want to let down: my boss, my peers, and everyone in my store.

“They’ve been watching everything I eat, everything I do. It’s like having 150 coaches.”

Wedge said he has logged 4,200 miles on the roads over the past three years in his quest, and doesn’t know what he’ll do when he finally reaches the finish line in front of the John Hancock Building Monday afternoon.

But after running the Maine, Vermont City, Clarence DeMar, and Disney World Marathons, there are plenty more roads to conquer.

“I always tell my wife I’m never going to run the same marathon twice,” Wedge said. “I’m already preregistered for New York this fall.”