Orthodontist completes marathon

By COURTNEY DENEN

cdenen@vindy.com

Boardman orthodontist Stephen Begezda recently completed the Tuscon (Ariz.) Marathon in a time of 3 hours, 41 minutes which once again qualifies him for the Boston Marathon in April.

Over the years, Begezda has collected “a lot” of race shirts from all the marathons he has participated in. He has been running since high school and said it’s a great way to relieve stress. “It gives me the opportunity to organize my thoughts and just think,” he said.

Four years ago, he clocked his personal best time of 3 hours, 29 minutes in the Tuscon Marathon. Begezda runs a few races every year, including 5Ks and half marathons like the Road Runner District Classic, the Canfield Firecracker, and almost every Peace Race.

Currently, he is preparing for the Disney Princess Marathon in March in Orlando.

Not much can stop him from running.

“I run all year long, through any weather,” he said. He prefers the temperature to be in the low 50s in order to run the long distance, but he has run in minus-5 degree weather before.

His passion for running is obvious and he is grateful for the support of his family.

He always wonders what would have happened if he would have pursued running more seriously when he was younger.

“If I would have been more serious in high school I could have really done something. That’s what I think about sometimes — what potential could I have had,” he said.

However, this year he qualified for April’s Boston Marathon again. This is not a marathon that just anyone can run in. It is a necessity to qualify and in 2006 he qualified and ran in that marathon.

Begezda has yet to decide if he will be running this April or wait until next year to participate in the Boston Marathon.