My name is Glen and I run to raise awareness about addiction/recovery, to remove the stigma, and honor the countless number of people that have been lost to overdose.
Growing up on the North Shore of Massachusetts I struggled with substance use disorder from the time I was a teenager to my late 20’s. The disease of addiction didn’t just hurt me but it hurt the people who loved me and supported me. I went to treatment facilities dozens of times and would put together some lengths of sobriety but always seemed to return to using. On Sept 1, 2008 I survived an accidental overdose.
I decided to seek treatment again. To this point in my life that was the last time I used drugs or alcohol. I surrounded myself with people that were in recovery and that had my best interests at heart. Some years later in an effort to get back in shape after getting married and having our 2 daughters I took up running.
After completing a few races I decided I was going to run the New York City marathon. People who knew me couldn’t believe what they were seeing. A kid who was an IV drug user that chain smoked cigarettes was now running a marathon. It was then I knew that running was providing me with a platform to give hope to others that recovery and change are possible.
After completing the NYC marathon I knew I wanted to run the 6 world majors. From November 2018 to March of 2024 that’s exactly what I did. Going from a hopeless addict to a man in recovery, husband, father and world major marathons finisher isn’t lost on me. I
’m so grateful for every breath I take on this earth and I hope and pray that sharing my story will prevent even one person and one family from going through the struggles of substance use disorder. It’s a really dark and lonely place to be, but there is hope!! I’m living proof
