Red Sox
“I’m not saying I would run the marathon in the future, but I don’t know. If we get into a fight tomorrow and get suspended for Monday, why not, right?”
Red Sox manager Alex Cora spent his Saturday morning a bit differently than he normally would during the season.
Ahead of the team’s game against the Angels, Cora participated in the Boston Athletic Association’s 2024 Boston 5K.
The 48-year-old raced alongside Red Sox hitting coaches Joe Cronin and Pete Fatse.
“It’s a great experience,” Cora told WCVB’s Matt Reed after the race. “We started running in Spring Training at Fort Myers. … Just to be around, man, this city means so much for us. Sometimes we take it for granted, you know. For us to go out there and run, it was fun.”
Cora finished the competition in 24 minutes and five seconds, good for a 07:45 minutes per mile pace, according to the 5K’s results page.
The 2018 World Series champion trekked along Commonwealth Ave. into Charlesgate and across the Boston Marathon finish line to completion at the Boston Common. Cora said he relished experiencing the 3.1-mile course with Bostonians and praised the city for showing out for the event.
“To be able to be out there and be around people — older people, young people, kids running this thing, you know, it’s like, ‘Wow, this is cool,’” Cora told the media pregame. “I wasn’t trying to beat Pete or Joe, but it gets you going. Adrenaline took us. … It was a great experience, it was a great weekend.
“I always say, man, this city is different. It’s different. It’s different in a good way. They love their sports, they come out in bunches. Sometimes we have bad nights like last night, but there’s gonna be people here. And I really enjoyed it.”
Cora lost 30 pounds dating back to the end of last season and the start of spring training this year. He told reporters in Feb. he started running with his partner and changed his diet over the winter.
The question is, would Cora ever consider running the Boston Marathon? He doesn’t sound too interested in it. Cora did give a witty answer when asked about the possibility, though.
“I’m not saying I would run the marathon in the future, but I don’t know. If we get into a fight tomorrow and get suspended for Monday, why not, right? Get the pinnies on and go run.”
Sign up for Red Sox updates⚾
Get breaking news and analysis delivered to your inbox during baseball season.