Captain Moses Cooper and Angel Mark Hulsey qualified for the Boston Marathon. 

Cooper and Hulsey are racing with myTeam Triumph Minnesota, an organization that allows children, teens, adults and veterans with disabilities to lead a team and experience endurance races. 

Cooper’s role as Captain means he is the one being pushed while Hulsey is the Angel, pushing Cooper. The two of them had a goal to make a qualifying time for the Boston Marathon. 

On June 21, during Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, the pair did exactly that. Now, they have the time they need to apply for the Boston Marathon. 

Hulsey said there is a chance that they aren’t chosen to race, however, that chance is low. 

“Having run Boston in the past and knowing what their process and procedures are, I feel pretty good about us getting in,” Hulsey said. 

If they do get picked to run in the Boston Marathon, Hulsey hopes that he will be able to bring a new and exciting opportunity to Cooper and his family. 

“Goal number one is giving Moses and his family the opportunity to experience something like Boston,” Hulsey said. 

Another goal for Hulsey is to bring recognition to myTeam Triumph Minnesota. He said that the organization has never had a pair go to a marathon major. 

Marathon majors in the U.S comprise the New York, Boston, and Chicago marathons. 

Hulsey said that some other organizations are very involved in marathon majors, and he hopes that myTeam Triumph will be as well. 

“Making sure we are getting the attention to Minnesota Team Triumph and those other Team Triumph groups,” Hulsey said. “Getting people excited within that organization to see that they are represented in a marathon major.” 

During the major marathons, they tend to split people up in groups depending on their times. This is so some of the faster runners don’t have to worry about weaving through other people. 

Boston allows 20,000 runners every year, and splitting people into different groups leads to more organization. Hulsey said that wheelchair and adaptive runners are the first and second groups to start the race. 

This means that if Cooper and Hulsey make it to the Boston Marathon, they will be the second group to start the race and will be surrounded by other adaptive runners. 

Hulsey said that if they aren’t picked to run Boston this year, he is still willing to try for another major. 

“It is really going to be up to Moses and his mom,” Hulsey said. “I am just here to bring them the opportunity.”

Hulsey hopes that his and Cooper’s involvement in the Boston Marathon will leave an impact on the other runners. He said that seeing adaptive runners during his past races is what inspired him to do what he does now. 

“It’s really the participation that I want to see people jump into,” Hulsey said. 

Husley hopes to be that person for others now.