Broadway-Rabun Gap link for NYC Marathon
A local Rabun Gap teacher will be joined by her sibling and tens of thousands of other runners in the Sunday, Nov. 6 New York City Marathon as the musically inclined sisters raise awareness for cancer.
Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School Director of Orchestra Programs Allegra Boggess and her sister, Oliver Award-winning Broadway star Sierra, will cover the 26.2-mile course through the Big Apple in support of Cancer Support Community (CSC).
“We didn’t really have a background in running. Our older sister (Summer) was on the cross country team but the running bug never bit us,” Sierra told The Clayton Tribune during a Zoom conference call. “During the lockdown in 2020, once we could go outside it felt good to run and breathe the air. We both just found ourselves running and checking in on each other, it was really cool to do it together while we were apart.”
Sierra, best known for her portrayal of the character “Ariel” in the Broadway production of “The Little Mermaid,” will have Allegra join her in New York for the Saturday marathon.
“It was really hard to quarantine in Rabun Gap,” Allegra said. “Just being in my apartment not being able to teach students, that was really tough. So I started walking for mental health and I realized I could probably save some time if I ran.”
Allegra joined Rabun Gap in 2017 and says she enjoys covering the terrain on the campus property on foot.
“I love running the road from the upper school campus to the middle school, it goes by a river and a barn and all the trees are stunning,” Allegra said. “Getting to see them through every season, from March 2020 seeing all the buds and then the baby leaves and the difference in the smell. I see little snakes and turtles and deer, it’s like heaven.”
Sierra said she gets jealous seeing Allegra’s running views.
“It’s just gorgeous,” Sierra said. “Meanwhile, I’m stepping over smashed cockroaches or dead mice. It’s still New York, but the gift of New York is Central Park just smack dab in the middle. Running through all the trees, especially now seeing all the leaves turn red and yellow, it’s like they’re cheering me on. Another place I love to run is Hudson River Park. It’s been really cool to run in such a city with so many other runners.”
Despite the sisters being nearly 800 miles apart, the two keep updated on their progress and despite using different programs find themselves usually running the same distances each day.
“I like to run alone,” Sierra said. “I think it’s just with my profession, I’m always around other people so it’s my time to be alone. Our dad is also an honorary running partner, we all have Garmins so we know what runs we’re doing and if we’re doing a long run and he’s out on a walk, he’ll call us.”
The two ran the 2022 Brooklyn Half marathon together, and decided to partner with CSC for the New York City Marathon. Sierra said every year she goes to the marathon and cheers on the runners.
“Last year my friend (and Tony award-winning Broadway star) Kelli O’Hara ran with CSC, and when we decided to run this year I reached out to her,” Sierra said. “We knew we wanted to run for a cause, something that is vital in this world and to help get the message out. Kelli told me about CSC and we started researching the incredible work they do.
“It’s an incredible resource and we want to help people know about it because sadly everyone is affected by cancer,” Sierra said. “This organization pairs patients with resources and it helps the families. I was working with a facet of CSC called Gilda’s Club Westchester where I’d play theater games with the siblings of people with cancer and it struck me; we don’t do this life without each other and the siblings are affected by cancer. We really love that CSC is truly a support community showing that community is stronger than cancer.”
According to their press release, CSC provides $50 million in free navigation and support services to patients and loved ones at 175 network partner locations, as well as online.
For anyone dealing with cancer in Georgia, CSC has an Atlanta branch that can be found at https://www.cscatlanta.org/ while anyone in any location can call the toll-free Helpline at 888-793-9355. Their main url can be found at https://www.cancersupportcommunity.org/.
Allegra’s advice for a new runner would be to build up in training and slow down in pace.
“I always thought I hated running,” Allegra said. “It’s okay to slow down and you should, you can run a long distance with a slow pace and it can feel good. You just have to start and give yourself time, trust the progression of your training.”
“Absolutely slow down,” Sierra echoed. “There’s a sign I pass in Central Park that says ‘cars slow down’ and I think it’s a reminder for us too. Just start anywhere and find someone who can check in on days you hit a wall. We both had a terrible long run on the same day and I got scared thinking ‘I can’t do this’ but you just get up and keep going and next thing you know you’re running 18 miles and not dying by the end of it.”
Both sisters got mantra bracelets for their race, with Allegra’s saying “keep going” and Sierra’s “don’t think.”
“Our dad always told us with hiking, just put one foot in front of the other and then you’re there,” Sierra said.