This Bank Exec Amps to 11

As he prepares to run his 11th consecutive Boston Marathon to raise funds for FamilyAid, Kip Sanford shares his evolution from casual runner to annual participant in the world’s most famous long-distance race with more ups and downs than Heartbreak Hill.

A managing director for Fifth Third Bank and former chair and FamilyAid board member, Kip has run every Boston Marathon since 2012. And he has no intention of stopping.

“Once you run your first race, the Marathon pulls you in,” he said. “You’re part of something so big and so important, and you run for a cause that does so much for so many people. I’m so thankful to FamilyAid because they’ve given me an experience I couldn’t ever top.”

Twenty years ago, Kip was a three- or four-mile-a-day runner when he visited his parents in Connecticut and asked his younger brother if he could accompany him on his daily run.

“My brother, who’s 10 years younger than me, said, ‘Oh, I’ll figure out a run where I can drop you off and finish my six (miles),’” Kip recalled. “He was talking like someone dropping off his grandma and that really spurred me to start pushing myself  .”

Kip soon ran his first half-marathon before Bruce Liddell- also a former FamilyAid board chair and member –  challenged him to run the Boston Marathon as a way to raise critical funds for FamilyAid.

Q: How did that first challenge evolve into 11 Boston Marathons?

Kip: I ran in 2012 because I’d be doing something important for FamilyAid, which is such a great cause. It was 89 degrees that day and I ended up in the medical tent with an oxygen mask. I said to myself, ‘This can’t be your memory of running the Boston Marathon,’ so I decided to run it again. In 2013, it was a beautiful running day – 44 degrees with a nice tailwind – and I felt great. Unfortunately, 10 minutes after I crossed the finish line, the first explosion went off. And then the second.  And then Boston met with a swirl of violence, then heroics, then patriotism. After that, I knew I had to be a part of it again to support this great city.

So, 2014 was my third year and then the momentum kind of snowballed and I just kept going. Now, I can’t not run and not raise money for FamilyAid, as long as my body allows me to do it.

Q: What advice would you offer someone running Boston for the first time?

Kip: I would tell them that your finishing time is not as important as the feeling you’re going to have when you cross the finish line. Don’t press so hard that you’re going to make yourself miserable. Make sure you remember and fully experience this amazing day.  It will go by fast if you don’t take the time to breathe deep and take everything in.

Q: What does it feel like to complete the Boston Marathon?

Kip: It’s pretty awesome. You’re so sapped through Kenmore Square but when you make that right turn on Hereford Street – and I get tingles just thinking about it – the crowd is five-to-eight people deep on that tiny incline, and your emotions start to hit you. Then you turn left onto Boylston Street which becomes a huge corridor of wall-to-wall people, and you get so inspired. It’s why so many runners get drawn to tears.

Q: Raising funds for FamilyAid is the main reason you run. What’s your message for people considering supporting you?

Kip:  I make sure everyone knows that their support provides crucial aid to so many kids and families on the verge of being homeless or are already homeless. They’re supporting an agency that does great things. I have an email blast that I send out to 300-400 people I know, and I try to make it funny and entertaining. Since this year is my 11th, I’ve made it a Spinal Tap theme because of the movie scene when Nigel Tufnel says, ‘This amp goes to 11.’ ….. I tell everyone that I’ll grow my mustache out like Derek Smalls if I can raise $40,000. I also tell everyone, ‘I’ll put your name on the back of my running shirt if you donate $250, and I’ll put your name on the front of my shirt in bigger letters if you donate $1,000.’ It’s been great and I’ve had 40 or 50 names on my shirt for each of the last several years.

Q: We’ve talked about your evolution as a runner. How has FamilyAid evolved since you’ve been a part of the organization?

Kip: It’s been amazing.  The agency serves more than 4 times the number of children and parents, and the staff focuses on both housing and helping children and parents have their best lives.  Larry Seamans has been an absolute change agent on many levels since he came on board as president.  He and his team are why FamilyAid has been able to do such important work.  I am happy to go the extra miles, literally, for the agency.