Hope Phelan grew up on the south shore of Boston where her passion for art and running began. She went on to study painting and run track and cross country at Washington University in St. Louis. After college she moved back to Boston and began freelance painting and running marathons. She has run the Boston Marathon numerous times and won the Brooklyn Marathon in 2015. She has been painting marathon scenes since her first Boston Marathon in 2013. Phelan's paintings were featured by AT&T on the Boston Marathon social media alerts and finish line display in 2016.

 

Recently, Phelan has been turning her paintings into illustrations. The birth of her first child in 2019 inspired her to write and illustrate a Boston Marathon children's book. Her first book- Bandit Runs Boston- is based on her amazing training partner, her dog Mango!  

 

Phelan now lives with her husband and two children in the hills of Southern Vermont. Phelan is currently working to create more children’s books based on her life, animals, and love of nature and running. Phelan feels lucky to be able to combine her two greatest passions into one profession.