Springfield Teacher Prepares for His 74th Marathon
Steve Coffman is preparing to run his 35th annual Boston Marathon in April.
Steve Coffman was in the right place at the right time. The place was Hawaii, where Coffman was stationed with the U.S. Marine Corps. The year was 1972, and American Frank Shorter had just won the Olympic gold medal in marathon running in Munich. The long-distance running craze spread throughout the nation, and Coffman found training in Hawaii especially appealing. “I owe a lot of it to the perfect place to run,” said Coffman. “I could get out and just enjoy the beautiful outdoors of Hawaii – the ocean, the mountains. It was just enjoyable.” Coffman, now a physical education teacher for special-needs children at Saratoga Elementary School in Springfield and Hollin Meadows Science and Math Focus Elementary School, dove right in to the sport…
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