University of Connecticut faculty member and alumnus Nicholas Carpino will be running in the 2024 Boston Marathon.
Carpino graduated from UConn in 2011. In 2020, he returned to the university to receive his master’s degree. Currently, Carpino is an adjunct faculty member for the UConn School of Nursing.
With career knowledge regarding health sciences and having grown up in proximity to Boston, Carpino joined the Greater Boston Food Bank’s marathon team for this year’s race on April 15.
“The Boston Marathon, to me, is the best race in the world,” Carpino said. “Growing up a Boston sports fan and going to the Red Sox game on Patriots Day or Marathon Monday, it was always something I wanted to participate in. I was also inspired by the resilience and strength of the people of Boston after the 2013 marathon bombing.”
Carpino grew up in Southbury, Connecticut and has lived in Hartford the last decade. Aside from teaching at UConn, he currently works at Hartford Hospital’s vascular institute as an advanced practice registered nurse.
“Poor nutrition leads to so many significant health problems that I see every day. I grew up helping the local food bank in Southbury on the weekends with my grandmother. It would be a dream come true to cross the finish line on Boylston, making my grandmother extra proud with the amount of money I raised for GBFB,” Carpino said in a press release.
Carpino expressed how his connections to UConn and his experience teaching students impacted his decision to run the Boston Marathon.
The Boston Marathon, to me, is the best race in the world. Growing up a Boston sports fan and going to the Red Sox game on Patriots Day or Marathon Monday, it was always something I wanted to participate in. I was also inspired by the resilience and strength of the people of Boston after the 2013 marathon bombing.
Nicholas Carpino, UConn School of Nursing Adjunct Faculty Member
“I want to set an example for my students that the human body and mind can be pushed to accomplish great things,” Carpino said. “I hope I am making UConn and the state of Connecticut proud by running this iconic race.”
Carpino chose to run the marathon in partnership with the Greater Boston Food Bank, a New England based hunger relief organization, to give back to his community.
“We need to give back and support those in our community who need it, because it benefits everyone,” Carpino said.
Carpino urged those who can to donate. He explained that every dollar donated to the Greater Boston Food Bank will provide two meals to a person in need.
“I am running for the Greater Boston Food Bank because I see first hand on a daily basis what effects hunger and poor nutrition have on my patients. Simple changes can have huge health benefits,” Carpino said.
With connections to the UConn community, Carpino hopes that his Husky roots will help him get through the marathon.
“I cherish my time in Storrs, it was a great all around experience. I am so thankful I chose to attend UConn as an undergrad. There was really no other choice for me when it came to graduate school, it had to be UConn,” Carpinon said. “The connections you make at UConn really do last a lifetime. Once a Husky, always a Husky.”