Twenty-five years ago, I missed qualifying for Boston by two minutes. I was determined to try again, but marriage, children and career postponed my plans. Finally in 2005, I qualified and ran. It was the most fantastic running experience of my life. The crowds made me feel famous! And despite all of the complaints about hills, it was a mostly downhill course. I did my best time as a middle-aged runner and decided to go back in 2006. Despite the rain, it was a wonderful experience. Some of the young guys from Boston College jumped in and ran with me when they saw I was getting tired! Nevertheless, I felt that the course was a bit clogged with charity runners who were getting in my way after about 10 miles. I ran again in 2007, 2008, and 2009, and in each successive year I found the course more and more congested with charity runners who had neither qualified nor trained. It was a disappointment to have worked so hard only to be trapped behind obese people. In recent years the corral system has broken down. No one checks when a charity runner from corral 25 steps into corral 17. Recently people have been asking me how much I paid to get into Boston. I think the race's reputation is fading.

Boston is a fabulous experience that every marathoner should run if they can. It's a great course from the rural countryside into the big city, running through colleges, and over hills. It's just wonderful. The people of the area are superb fans. Like Agusta to golf, they know what they are watching.

Twenty-five years ago, when the men's open qualifying standard was 2:50, I qualified by running a 2:44. For reasons that I cannot recall, I did not run the Boston Marathon, and shortly thereafter, I quit running. Over the years I often lamented the fact that I did not run in the world's greatest marathon. About two years ago, I began running again and made it my goal to run in the Boston Marathon. With hard work and determination, I qualified for and ran in the 2009 Boston Marathon. I was not disappointed! It was everything that I had expected and more. With the exception of a slight headwind over the last few miles, the weather conditions were perfect. The course was exactly as I had expected. The organization and crowd support were better than I had ever experienced. No matter how old you are, how long you have put it off, or how many obstacles you must overcome, it is never too late. Never give up. Live the dream.

This year was my second time running Boston. After running it in 2008 and having a horrible experience on the hills (I was completely unprepared for them and finished 25 minutes slower than my qualifying time), I swore I would never run Boston again.

But several months after the 2008 race, I found out quite by accident from the guy at my local running store that my late-fall qualifying time in 2007 in Toronto was in fact good for the 2009 race as well, thanks to the 18-month qualifying window. So in late December of 2008, I decided I would give it another try - and that this time I would train properly. I was determined that I would have a good experience at Boston this time around.

Training for Boston through two Canadian winters was brutal, to say the least - but worth every ounce of effort. With the exception of my long runs and hill runs, I did the bulk of my training at night on a treadmill both times, since there was simply no way to do quality speedwork on snow and ice. This time around, however, I added lots of hills to my long runs and made sure to do one other hilly run during the week as well. I also added 3 days a week of weight training, which included lots of squats and walking lunges. The changes I made to my training were definitely worth it. With the exception of Heartbreak, I felt like I was flying over the hills at this year's Boston! I finished just 11 minutes off my qualifying time this time around and had lots of gas left in the tank. Had it been a flat course without a strong headwind, I think I could have run it much faster.

The expo at Boston is very well organized. I love the Adidas sponsorship and all of their gear. Yes, the line-ups are long, but they are fast and fun if you chat with the people around you. In 2008 I bought the classic Boston jacket with the big logo on the back but only wore it twice because I felt like I was wearing a billboard. This year I bought a navy/yellow Adidas one with a small crest on the front and the Adidas stripes down the sleeves and I wear it all of the time. My Adidas tech shirts that I bought at Boston are my absolute favorites, and I also love the long-sleeved tech shirts that come with the race kit - though this year's bright yellow one is a little hard on the eyes. Nobody will miss me in traffic, though!

Although the race organizers strongly discourage you from driving to the start in Hopkinton, I have done it twice now because I stayed with friends who live in the Boston area. We had absolutely no problems whatsoever with the drop-off at Hopkinton State Park either time. You just drive in, hug everyone goodbye and hop onto the shuttle to Hopkinton High School. If you have anyone who can drive you there on the morning of the race, it's a great way to get to Hopkinton High School easily and comfortably, provided that you arrive before 7:30 a.m. Hopkinton is cold in the morning, so bring lots of layers, a foam pad to sit on, some good reading material, and a warm blanket. You can ditch it or stuff it all in your race bag just before the race and hand it to the nice kids on the baggage buses before the start and they'll have it waiting for you at the finish.

The corral system at Boston is the best I've seen anywhere. Numbers are assigned by qualifying time, and you are only allowed into the corral that corresponds to your bib number. The really cool thing about this is that when the gun goes off, the entire mass of runners moves as one cohesive entity. It takes a long, long time for things to spread out, but you never feel like you're stuck behind anyone, and you don't have people flying past you either. One of my favorite things about Boston is watching the huge snake of runners going up and down the hills ahead of me. It's a pretty cool sight.

What can I say about the crowds? They are simply the best anywhere. I love the hundreds of kids and their families who hand out treats. I adore the crazy Red Socks fans who hold up signs with the current score of the game. I get chills when I start hearing the screaming girls of Wellesley long before I even hit the scream tunnel. I get teary-eyed when I hear bagpipes playing at Heartbreak Hill. And after Heartbreak, I love feeling like I'm partying with the beer-guzzling, sausage-BBQing kids at Boston College.

Boston is a technically difficult course, but if you do your hill training and come prepared for the long, cold wait in Hopkinton, you'll do just fine. There is no other marathon like it anywhere, and it is definitely worth everything it takes to qualify. I will do everything I can to get back there again!

Honestly, the course is pretty ugly. It's really quite a shame runners don't see more of Boston.

Fans are amazing; you'll never be let down. The Wellesley Girls are extremely enthusiastic, holding up signs asking for kisses.

And of course, this race is well organized.

What a wonderful experience I had at the Boston Marathon. I was fortunate to run this one with my great friend Keith. He made it in 3:48 while I came in a close second at 5:01:42. Of course I was about 12 thousand runners behind him at this point. I was fortunate to be able to run for the Dana-Farber Cancer Research Center. I truly appreciate them for sponsoring me for this once-in-a-lifetime event. The City of Boston rolls out the red carpet for this marathon, and I can clearly see why. There is so much history in and around this city and with this marathon. It is one that I will never forget. Many thanks, Boston!

What more can be said about the great - and I do mean great - crowd, volunteers and logistics. This was my 5th marathon, and overall, it was a phenomenal experience that dwarfed NYC, PHL, MCM and Philly. The only two negatives were: The expo had limited to no mom-and-pop representation. It felt like a commercial shake down. The second and the one that shocked me was the very small and pretty cheap medal. I have done 5K's with better medals. Come on, folks; this is the Grand Daddy of all marathons. I would have paid $25-$50 more on top of the $200-plus entrance fee to get a medal worthy of the Boston Marathon's history and stature. Perhaps someone can start selling after-market upgrades???

A challenging course, but every runner works too hard to be given a free ride. The professionalism of the field, support of the spectators, and dedication of the race volunteers make Boston all it's advertised to be and more. It's possible to run a PR, but you've really got to watch your splits and be careful not to go out too fast. The race really doesn't begin until mile 16 and your success will depend on how you handle the Newton Hills.

I cannot say enough to described what a great experience it was. The course is extremely tough, but it was worth it. All of those screaming people cheering you on are a tremendous help. This is the one race you have to run.

I completed this year's Boston, coming off the heels of a bad hamstring injury that I suffered a week before the 2008 Boston - I had to bail out early in that race. The training after Boston 2008 was slow going, and not as intense as I had when preparing for the 2007 Boston run. Nevertheless, I completed the 2009 Boston - not in the time that I wanted, but I finished. Having running 26 marathons so far, the Boston Marathon is still the best. From packet pickup to the finish line, the Boston Marathon scores 5 stars in all categories. The crowd support is fantastic - always has been, and probably always will be. Boston really comes out for this event. Qualifying for Boston should be the goal of every serious runner. Working towards the Boston qualifier brings out the best in each runner; making it to Boston - realization sets in - confirms that you are a good runner. BOSTON, YOU ARE DEFINITELY NUMERO UNO!