While attending Notre Dame School in Nicaragua, Fidel Maltez was a standout in varsity basketball and soccer. He later played intramural and club soccer at Lafayette College where he received his degree in civil engineering.
When Fidel Maltez and his wife, Maria Belen Power (who also attended Notre Dame School where they first met in high school) celebrated the birth of their first child, Maya, in 2013, Fidel became inspired to take up the sport of running.
medal after finishing the race Monday.
Boston marathon course Monday.
“When my first daughter was born (the couple also has a daughter, Ana Victoria), I realized that I wanted to be here for a long time and running is the way that I ensure that my body and soul and head are in the right place,” said Maltez.
He began running 10-kilometer races and continued his training for longer distances, setting the foundation for his goal of competing in the 26.2-mile Boston Marathon, which is considered the premier marathon in the world.
On Monday, Maltez ran in the 128th Boston Marathon, finishing the grueling and challenging course from Hopkinton to Boston in a time of 4 hours, 13 minutes. It was Maltez’s second Boston run (2022) and his seventh marathon overall, having participated in the New York City Marathon, and marathons in Miami and New Hampshire. Boston is clearly at the top of Maltez’s list of favorite sporting events.
“The Boston Marathon is very special,” said Maltez. “One, for me, there is the home crowd. I saw a lot of people that recognized me and the “Running For Chelsea” shirt that I wore. A lot of people were yelling, ‘Fidel, Go Chelsea’ – it was definitely inspirational and emotional to hear those cheers while running the course.”
Maria Belen Power and Maya were among the Fidel fans welcoming Chelsea’s chief executive officer to the finish line on Boylston Street.
“It was very emotional to see my family there,” related Maltez.
Also among the spectators along the final mile of the course were Councilor-at-Large Leo Robinson, former city councilor Enio Lopez, and well-known photographer Darlene DeVita (“She took an amazing photo,” Maltez said), along with other Chelsea residents.
Robinson congratulated Maltez on his momentous run Tuesday.
“I told Fidel, you should be proud of your athletic accomplishment and also the outstanding job you’re doing as our city manager,” credited Robinson.
GreenRoots Executive Director Roseann Bongiovanni, who has competed in the Boston Marathon, also lauded Maltez’s effort.
“I’m super proud of him,” said Bongiovanni. “Running the marathon and the city at the same time is no easy feat.”
Fidel, 41, said he trained hard for the 2024 Boston Marathon. “Preparing for Boston, my goal was to do 30 miles per week, and I started doing that in December,” he said. “My long run was a month ago and I did 22 miles from my house in Chelsea to Deer Island (Winthrop) and back. Running through Chelsea and being the former DPW director, it was a good reminder seeing all the projects we were doing and noticing the sidewalks and the streets. It was a good way for me to stay in touch with the physical aspects of the city.”
What’s next athletically for Chelsea’s city manager?
“I’ll be running in the Run to Remember half-marathon on Memorial Day Weekend to raise funds and honor fallen law enforcement and first responders,” said Maltez. “The Chelsea Police are represented really well in the race and it’s an event I try to support every year. And I’m hoping to compete in the Boston Marathon again in 2025.”