By Devan Mighton
For Erik Chovan and Stephanie Trepanier, running has become much more than a hobby. The Lakeshore-area couple recently completed the prestigious Boston Marathon side by side, crossing the finish line together after years of training and dedication to the sport.
“It was always a huge goal for me,” states Erik, 45, who lives in the St. Joachim area with Stephanie. “Boston is kind of the holy grail of marathons. Everybody wants to do it.”
Erik has been running for more than a decade and has completed more than a dozen marathons. Qualifying for Boston, however, is notoriously difficult, requiring runners to first achieve a qualifying time at another marathon before they can even apply.
The couple first met at a race in Detroit in 2018, bonding over their shared love of running and endurance sports. Stephanie had already completed the Boston Marathon herself in 2024, while Erik narrowly missed qualifying.
“So as a backstory, Erik has been trying for many years to qualify for Boston,” she explained. “In 2024, we both registered for the race with the risk of me getting accepted into the race and him missing the cut off. That year, it was bittersweet as he selflessly supported me every step of the way as I ran the race solo.”
This year, after Erik officially earned his spot in the race, Stephanie surprised him by secretly registering as well.
“I had literally no idea,” laughs Erik. “She always said she was only going to do Boston once. Then she surprised me and told me she was running it too.”
Stephanie was there all the way. “He has always said he dreamed of running Boston together, and I wanted to make his dream come true.”
The race itself lived up to every expectation.
With thousands of cheering spectators lining the course, the event, taking place on Apr. 20, was seasonably cool. Eric described the atmosphere as unlike anything he had experienced before.
“There were 30,000 runners, and the energy was unbelievable,” he recalls. “The crowds, the cheering, the bells; you could feel it in your chest.”
One moment that stood out—as the couple approached the famous Citgo sign near the final mile, the noise from the crowd intensified. “You make the final turn, and there’s maybe 400 metres left,” explains Erik. “The energy is impossible to describe.”
The pair held hands as they crossed the finish line together, recording the exact same finishing time down to the second.
“It was emotional,” he says. “Everyone is there for the same reason, and there’s so much encouragement and camaraderie.”
For Stephanie, sharing the experience together made the challenge even more meaningful.
“Marathons are always an adventure with many challenges, but being able to run one with your partner by your side makes them much more bearable,” she says. “I am grateful to have been able to experience a race of that magnitude with my partner and to have been able to be by his side in order to witness him complete a personal goal.”
Preparing for a marathon requires months of commitment, with runners often training five or six days per week. While the physical demands are significant, Erik believes the mental challenge can be even greater. “The hardest part is usually the last eight kilometres,” he explains. “Your legs are screaming, you’re exhausted, but mentally you’ve just got to keep pushing.”
The couple’s endurance journey is continuing beyond marathons, with Stephanie competing in half-Ironman events and Eric preparing for his first half-Ironman later this summer.
For those considering getting into running, Erik encourages people to start small and stay consistent. “Anybody can do it,” he said. “The body and mind can do way more than you think they can.”
