Local runner balances work and miles

Katie Cofone is training for the 130th Boston Marathon while working full time as an engineer at Eli Lilly and raising money for the Hopkinton Music Association. (hopkintonindependent.com) Cofone, a Hopkinton native, said she runs four days a week around the Charles River in Boston, usually before work, and adds one or two strength sessions on top of her mileage. She is set to run the race on Monday, April 20, 2026. (hopkintonindependent.com) (baa.org) She entered through the Boston Athletic Association’s official charity program, which gives nonprofit groups invitational entries in exchange for fundraising. The association announced 193 organizations for 2026, and the race’s charity program raised a record $50.4 million in 2025. (baa.org) (wcvb.com) Cofone had passed her $6,000 fundraising goal by mid-March, according to the Hopkinton Independent. The money is earmarked for concert clothing, lesson scholarships, senior scholarships, music trips, and repairs or purchases of school-owned instruments. (hopkintonindependent.com) Her connection to the cause is personal. Cofone played flute in Hopkinton school music programs through middle school, and her sister, Marisa Cofone, is also listed by the Hopkinton Music Association as a 2026 Boston Marathon runner for the group. (hopkintonindependent.com) (hopkintonmusic.com) The training load is built around routine rather than a dramatic overhaul. Cofone told the Independent she focuses on sleep, hydration, and eating enough to support long runs, and she treats consistency as the key to balancing marathon preparation with a day job. (hopkintonindependent.com) The local angle is part of the race’s structure. The Boston Marathon starts on Main Street in Hopkinton, and the official charity program reserves spots for organizations based in the eight communities along the course, including Hopkinton. (boston.com) (baa.org) For Cofone, race day will bring her from weekday loops along the Charles back to her hometown start line in Hopkinton. The Independent reported that her parents are traveling from Florida and that her sister, brother-in-law, and friends also plan to watch. (hopkintonindependent.com)