Boston Police Commissioner Bill Evans never really saw himself as Ed Davis’s successor at the helm of the Boston Police Department. A patrolman for 31-years, Commissioner Evans never wanted to be a detective and had the luxury to see his older brother operate as commissioner; it made him want the role all the less. But after being appointed by Mayor Marty Walsh to pick up where Davis left off, he couldn’t be happier about his position.

BostInno sat down with Commissioner Evans at Boston Police headquarters in Roxbury to get a feel for how things are shaping up for the imminent 2014 Boston Marathon. The commissioner, an avid runner in his own right, couldn’t be more optimistic about the security for this year’s event.

Commissioner Evans pounded the pavement for 26.2-miles from Hopkinton, Mass. through downtown Boston last year, experiencing first-hand the devastation left by two pressure cooker bombs full of shrapnel that combusted near the finish line killing three and injuring 264. It is in this capacity, and armed knowledge he’s accumulated from over three decades fighting adversity, he’s been able to prepare himself and his department for any unwelcome surprises.

“We’re clearly ready,” Commissioner Evans told BostInno. “After what happened last year and the tragedy, our officers performed admirably and I don’t expect anything less of them this year. We’ve got a great plan and a great department and I think things are going to go real well.”

As a wide-eyed 25-year old police novice with a family chock full of public servants – his oldest brother would go on to serve as Police Commissioner, and two more as a deputy chief and a district chief – he picked up running at the suggestion of his siblings. With no high school or collegiate experience, a young Commissioner Evans started out competing in shorter races before graduating to marathons like the annual one held in Boston.

“I used to say ‘Those people are crazy, anyone who would would want to run 26.2 miles,'” continued the commissioner. “But I ended up running Boston back in 1982 or ’83 and I did a 2:53 in my very first Marathon. I think I was sort of inspired how well I did in my first marathon and I got the bug. Next year I came back I did 2:51, then I really had the bug and I always wanted to beat that 2:50.”

He won’t be running the 2014 Boston Marathon, though, not that he’s disappointed. He’d rather fill his time partaking in day-to-day operations trying to keep Boston a safe place for all.

As one might expect, this year’s race will be one of the most secure, most watched and most participated-in Marathons in its 118-year history. The Boston Athletic Association made room for an additional 9,000 participants in this year’s field and if the showing at last Tuesday’s one-year later Boston Marathon bombing tribute in memory of the victims and survivors of last year’s incident is any indication, the spectator and supportive turnout will be almost immeasurable.

“We’re out there, we’re visible down there,” added Commissioner Evans. “I want us all to be great ambassadors. We have 36,000 families coming to the Hynes Convention Center over the next 3 days to pick up their race numbers. You know, we them to feel safe and secure and hopefully our officers can convey that message over the next 3 days.”

If this were any other year, and he wasn’t in command of Boston’s finest, he’d probably run. In fact, he told us, he had qualified to run this year and was going to do it on behalf of eight-year old Martin Richard, who was caught in the line of fire last year and sadly didn’t make it, after being approached by the Ricard family.

But Commissioner Evans is one of those who leads by example. He’ll be working on Marathon Monday along with some of his constituents, to “damn try our hardest to make sure nothing happens.” Running, though, is something he can’t do without. And neither is letting down a grieving family.

He and 100 Boston Police officials ran the BAA’s 5K on Saturday while wearing a Martin Richard shirt.

Since picking it up at 25, he’s been unable to refrain from stretching his legs on an almost daily basis. Running is a kind of meditation, a chance to find solace, and something that helped him make it through last year’s incident.

He ran the Marathon last year but he and others also sprang to the aid of those who were affected, something that’s not lost on him and his comrades every time they venture down Boylston Street. Running was what helped him keep a clear mind and stay level-headed. With 46 total marathons under his belt including London’s; Saint John’s, New Brunswick; Quebec City’s twice; New York City’s five times and his eyes set on Dublin’s, Commissioner Evans is still able to translate the skills needed to complete a 26.2-mile race into a more contemplative experience.

In fact, after the dual bombings tore through Boylston Street he could barely catch a wink of sleep without going out for a jog first, even days after the frightening occurrence.

“I was going for 41 straight hours,” posited the commissioner. “By the time I got up Thursday and the President was coming to town, I got up at 3:30 in the morning because I had to get a run in. That’s what clears my head. We all deal with it differently. So the way I clear my mind is to go out and run. That’s my stress reducer.”

With so much to tackle in his first year on the job, Commissioner Evans is performing tremendously valiantly and sensibly. He doesn’t let the bombings affect his work or his judgements. The soft-spoken, modest Southie-native sticks to what he knows best, and when it comes to fortifying an event like the Boston Marathon, that means putting his running acumen and police knowledge to good use.

Surprisingly, none of that strikes Commissioner Evans as the hardest part of the job. The 55-year old can still clock a respectable marathon time and constantly faces crime unlike anything we see on daily basis.

“People ask me, ‘What’s the toughest part of your job?’ I say, finding a different shirt and tie everyday. I’ve been in uniform for 31-years, never had to worry about what I was wearing. Now in this role, I’m out getting ties and shirts. I joke with the detectives here, saying ‘I never knew how hard your job was.'”