Sophia Constantino and her family are preparing to run the race that sparked her love for running – the Boilermaker Road Race.
Set for July 13 in Utica, New York, the Constantinos will be racing as a tribute to Sophia’s dad, Sam Constantino, who shaped the family’s running culture.
A Tradition of Running and Community
For the Constantino family, the Boilermaker is more than just a race, it’s a tradition.
“Running was the center of a lot of our activities,” Sophia reflects. “I would fly home from anywhere in the country to be there for Boilermaker Sunday. It’s a holiday in our house.” The Boilermaker has become a time for the entire extended family to come together and celebrate their shared passion for running.
Beyond the race itself, Sophia appreciates how the event fosters a strong sense of community. “You’ve got a band over there. This guy’s giving you popsicles. This person is handing you meatballs. They bring out the Utica Zoo, and you’re suddenly holding a snake. It’s just so fun.”
Each section of the race – north, south, east, and west – competes to be the most entertaining.
“The Boilermaker is a party, and you happen to be running,” she says.
To Learn More About Project Purple’s Boilermaker team, click here.
Early Steps
Sophia can’t remember a time when running wasn’t part of her life. “It feels like I’ve always been running,” she says. The first race she remembers was when she ran the Vermont City 5k when she was seven. But it wasn’t until she ran the Boilermaker 15k for the first time at fourteen that she truly felt the thrill of being a runner. Watching her parents have so much fun during the race, she was excited for the day she could participate.
Sam’s Legacy of Joy and Mentorship
At the heart of the Constantino family’s love for running is Sam, Sophia’s father. “He was so enthusiastic. There was no one who was happier or more smiley while running than him,” Sophia says. She fondly recalls how he would run backwards alongside her, asking, “Aren’t you having fun?” Sam made sure that running was always fun. “Running’s hard, but he made it the most joyous thing,” she says.
Sam’s infectious positivity didn’t just extend to running – it permeated every aspect of his life. “He made everyone feel special, and he genuinely thought that everyone was special. He saw so much good in everyone; he never quit on people.”
Guidance and mentorship were pillars of Sam’s personality. He was a constant source of support, whether he was coaching his children as they ran together or mentoring the high schoolers working their first jobs at his restaurant.
Sophia proudly follows in his footsteps, reflecting his spirit through her work as a teacher.
Running While Battling
Sadly, Sam passed away on January 4, 2025, after a two-year battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Reflecting on their last Boilermaker together, Sophia is grateful they had the chance to run as a family one last time. “We knew time wasn’t infinite,” she says. “It was excruciatingly difficult for my dad to participate, but he was still able to do it.”
As far as Sophia and her family were aware, Sam was planning on running the 5k due to his limited training. However, a planned transportation mixup had Sam ‘unexpectedly’ bringing Sophia’s sister to the 15k start line. There, Sophia remembers him saying, “I’m gonna give it a shot.”
He ran the full 9.3 miles. Running the 15k had been the plan all along. There was no “transportation mixup” as Sam had planned it that way.
“It was so cool to see him cross the finish line,” she says, proud of her father’s strength and determination.
A Full Circle Moment
Sam began running to raise money for leukemia charities in honor of his father and cousin. His passion inspired the whole family to get involved. “His attitude and charisma made you want to do whatever he was doing; he made everything look fun. So when he was running, you’re like, ‘Well, I want to be part of the party,’” Sophia remembers.
Now, as Sophia and her family prepare to run the 2025 Boilermaker, their focus has shifted to honoring Sam and raising money to fight pancreatic cancer. “Now, we’re all here, rallying for the Boilermaker, raising money for Project Purple, for the person who started it all.”
If you’d like to run or participate in the Boilermaker 15k & 5k with Project Purple, click here!