Jim McCarthy ran his first marathon last year in Detroit.

“My goal last year was to just finish it,” he admitted.

When he decided to run the Detroit Marathon, he never imagined he would attempt to run the Boston Marathon in 2010.

In order to participate in the Boston Marathon, runners have to qualify by running another marathon. Each runner must finish the qualifying marathon under a certain time determined by their age and sex.

During the race in 2008, McCarthy said he was still running the proper pace to qualify for the Boston race at the 22-mile mark.

“I was shocked to be on pace at that point,” he said. “My legs shut down and cramped up though. I decided this year I could put more long runs in and more dedication into it.”

His decision to attempt Boston actually came to him last year at Detroit when he was running behind the Boston Marathon qualifying pack. Seeing how close he was to that group of runners motivated him to give it a try this year.

McCarthy said he realized he would need to condition his body to run the longer distance and not the actual pace.

So instead of running just 14 miles as before, McCarthy began training with 21 mile runs at least once a week. His training for the Detroit race had him running around 50 to 60 miles a week.

McCarthy ran the Detroit Marathon for the second year in a row on Oct. 18.

“I didn’t know if I would qualify,” he said. “All the variables had to be perfect.”

In order to qualify, he needed to finish the race under 3 hours, 21 minutes. McCarthy came across the finish line in 3 hours, 20 minutes and 15 seconds.

During the Detroit Marathon, there were several “pace groups,” which carried signs. McCarthy said those groups of runners would inform other runners if they wanted to complete the race in a certain time, they need to run with that particular group.

“I had to basically beat that group or run with them,” McCarthy said.

The Detroit race was going smoothly until the last two miles, which became difficult for McCarthy.

“I thought about all the training I’ve done,” he said. “During that training I knew it would come down to 20 to 40 seconds that could make it or break it.

McCarthy said he remembers thinking one thing as he grew tired with just two miles left to go.

“I’ve worked hard for three months and gave up a lot to get to this point,” he recalled. “I’ve already ran 24 miles. I can’t give up now.”

It also helped him that one of his friends, who was injured but ran the Boston Marathon previously, rode her bike along side yelling out words of encouragement.

“It was nice to have her there,” he said. “She had told me stories of how much pain she had been in and I thought, if she could do it, I could too.”

McCarthy was proud of himself when he finished the race, but said there was more to it than just that.

“Being a runner, it’s an incredible feeling to finish a marathon,” McCarthy said. “Qualifying for the Boston Marathon was the icing on the cake.”

The Boston Marathon is the only marathon a runner has to qualify for, McCarthy explained. Only 25,000 participants are allowed to enter.

The Logansport resident has been running since high school, but didn’t start taking it serious until about three or four years ago.

“It’s the pride thing and seeing how hard you can push your body,” he explained. “It’s a rush you feel when you accomplish something.”

When he was younger, he never ran long distance either.

“I don’t think I even knew a marathon was 26.2 miles,” he laughed.

He decided to start running after several of his friends and his girlfriend talked him into it. He said they have all participated in several marathons. He thought since they could all do it, there was no reason why shouldn’t he give it a try.

When he told others of his plans to run a marathon in the first place, McCarthy said he received a variety of reactions.

“Some think you are crazy,” he said. “Some don’t understand how hard it is and some were very encouraging.”

A number of friends also offer support by running along side him to prepare for races or to just stay in shape during the “off-season.” McCarthy said it’s like a night and day difference to have the support of someone else running along side him, even if it is only for seven miles of his run.

For now, McCarthy said it is too soon to train for the April 19 Boston Marathon. Full-force training will begin anywhere from 12 to 15 weeks in advance. It will consist of eating healthier, staying hydrated and putting in longer runs.

McCarthy will also have to practice running on more hills, since the Boston Marathon has more hills than the Detroit Marathon. He said hill conditioning will consist of upper body strength building, as well.

“It’s funny, just a few weeks since it’s over, you have a great sense of accomplishment,” he said. “It’s also a letdown because you don’t have something to run for. You don’t have the goal right now.”

No matter how he does at the Boston Marathon, McCarthy has already accomplished his goal.

“My main goal was to qualify for Boston,” he said. “I want to train hard and prepare, but try to enjoy the experience and take it all in.”

• Denise Massie is a staff writer at the Pharos-Tribune. She can be reached at 574-732-5151 or denise.massie@pharostribune.com