For every mile she covered on Boston’s daunting, historic course, Auburn’s Kevette Smargiassi kept someone special in mind.

It was her way to honor those she loves and stop her mind from wandering where it wanted to go as she negotiated the punishing distance.

“It wasn’t so much a personal pilgrimage,” Smargiassi said of her recent performance in the 115th Boston Marathon. “It was my way to dedicate each mile to others … family and friends.”

Smargiassi kept a mental list of many names, foremost that of her late father, who succumbed to cancer last July. The disease has claimed Smargiassi’s parents and two sisters.

Each time Smargiassi loses someone close, she hits the streets, running hard and free to clear the mind and soothe the soul. Pounding the pavement is her form of expression, an act of gratitude to those near and dear.

“This one was actually a spiritual one for me,” Smargiassi said of her return to the Boston Marathon after first qualifying 19 years ago to run the legendary course. “I just said, ‘You know, I’m just going to go out and do it.’ “

Despite missing three weeks of training to pneumonia, “Smarg” performed well in the heavy Boston traffic of high elbows, striding legs and swift heels. The humble, 48-year-old Rainier Middle School teacher covered the difficult 26.2-mile distance and its famed “Heartbreak Hill” in a brisk 3 hours, 36 minutes and 27 seconds, which was 171st in her age division and 2,205th among the more than 10,000 women who finished. She finished 9,513th overall in the field of more than 24,000 who had started the April 18 race.

Returning to Boston proved to be much more than she had expected.

“It was better,” said Smargiassi, whose daughter, Janie, cheered her on from the crowd. “I was happy with my time … I achieved my goals … but I think I can go back and do it better.”

Smargiassi doesn’t shy away from a good challenge. Running and racing are her specialties.

Born and raised in Auburn, Smargiassi comes from an athletic family. Her brother, Mark Van, competed as a runner at the University of Washington.

Smargiassi began to race competitively when she was 13. On a whim, at 18, she entered and completed her first official marathon in Seattle.

After graduating from Auburn High School in 1980, she attended Central State Oklahoma, where she qualified for the NAIA nationals at 5,000 meters.

Married to a military man, she often competed at meets with her two young sons in tow.

As the family moved about, Smargiassi stayed in the game, completing her master’s degree abroad and teaching students at international schools in the Middle East and across Europe.

She registered her fastest marathon on foreign soil – 3:27.03 in Saudi Arabia. Her first Boston run ended in 3:30.50.

When her husband, Nick, landed a job with Boeing, the family came home, and Smargiassi returned to the Auburn School District, where she has worked full time since 1998.

After class and on weekends, parents and students usually can find the eighth-grade algebra teacher afoot on Auburn’s hilly streets. She loves living in and being a part of the community as a fit and inspiring role model.

Running has always been a big part of her active family. Smargiassi’s sons, Dominic and Michael, were standout runners.

For Smargiassi, marathon training demands as many as 70 miles each week, rain or shine. She has competed in 12 official marathons in her career and plans to complete many more, including the prestigious Boston next spring.

She has tried ultra distances of 50 kilometers. She plans to compete in the Lilac Bloomsday Run, Spokane’s famed 12K road race, on Sunday, and other regional runs. She wants one day to try marathons in Europe, perhaps find one in the challenging heat of Morocco.

“I like to push,” Smargiassi said of her personality. “For me, I’ve always felt like God’s given me a talent. You have to find your talent and go use it. … I can show my appreciation to Him through running.”

And also to others.

“I think it’s being fit and staying healthy,” she explained of her reason for staying in the race. “When I’m out there, I can clear my mind of things.”

And run with grace and gratitude.