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☰
Boston Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Boston Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.6 
Organization 4.6 
Spectators 4.9
Number of comments: 418 [displaying comments 371 to 381]
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P. M. from Chicago
(5/2/2003)
 "Legendary race; needs a tweak or two" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 All of the quirky elements of this race are already well-known: the late starting time, the looooong wait at the runner's village, the hills at miles 16-21. These points are essentially beyond discussion. I ratify, in the main, the favorable comments below. The field was really wonderful, the spectators peerless (especially the many homeowners handing out water on such a hot day!!) and the organization (mostly) excellent. Things that could be changed: (1) the family meeting area was too small and crowded; (2) the food at the end of the race was a bit stingy (doled out in plastic bags); (3) racers really ought to be instructed to refrain from public urination (this was real disgrace to the nice people who hosted us in Hopkinton). | |
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M. B. from New York City
(5/2/2003)
"One tough course" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first Boston and it was a real honor to have qualified and run this race. First the postives: the crowd support is amazing, Hopkinton is a neat little town, the start is more orderly and fair than NYC, the Wellsely girls are fun and the crowds in Boston were great. The weekend of the race the whole city of Boston is buzzing, and it's a great atmosphere. The negatives: the course description is deceiving (the 2nd half of the course is brutal and was too tough for my tastes - those hills, ouch!). The late start (12:00) makes for an early rise, long waits, and warm temperatures (it was unusually warm, 70s). Overall, I would say if you qualify, you should run it. Though for me, I think once is enough. Enjoy! | |
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E. M. from Virginia
(4/30/2003)
 "Boston is amazing! You must run in this race!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I am still very disappointed to read the critical comments posted here about the Boston Marathon. I ran this race for the first time in 2003 and I cannot tell you how amazing the experience was!! Okay, it was a little warm outside....the four hour wait before the race is long....the course is hilly...but, with all of the suffering and effort you put into training for a marathon, can't you handle a few inconveniences for an opportunity to run in the greatest marathon of all time?!? I found the fans, the course, the organization, the atmosphere - ALL of them were fantastic and memorable. Despite the heat, I ran an excellent time to qualify for next year's race. And, despite those few inconveniences that other folks can't seem to handle I WILL BE BACK!!!!! | |
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Evgeniy Sklyanskiy from Urbana-Champaign, IL
(4/27/2003)
"Boston Marathon 2003" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 It is always a pleasure and honour to run in Boston. I reached my new Personal Best in Boston (2h 57 min). I have never felt so good after the race as i did in Boston. The only thing that i still do not understand in terms of organization is to why does the race start every year at 12:00 pm. Thus the runners have to go through the course on the hottest period of the day. Also it would be much more better if we would have arrived to Athletic village shorter than 4 hours prior to the race. Other than that the marathon is still one of the best in the world. | |
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C. M. from New York, NY
(4/25/2003)
"Humbled by a classic!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 As with many people, qualifying for and running Boston has been a dream of mine for some time. Running the 2003 Boston, my 1st Boston, and 6th marathon, was the realization of my goal. The course was very difficult, made even harder by the very hot conditions (low 70's and no clouds/shade). The downhills early in the course beat-up my quads and I paid for it late in the race. Crowd support was tremendous. The energy of the women of Wellesley was infectious and the residents of Newton all had cowbells; what a beautiful chorus that made. There were sections early in the course where the crowds were thin, but when it counted the crowds were there and cheering like mad. In my experience the crowds here are on par with the tremendous crowds that come out for the New York Marathon. I?m sure I?ll run Boston again, but, I?ll be sure to do more specific hill training in order to better protect my quads. Organization was excellent, and the finishing stretch on Boylston is the best finish I have ever experienced. | |
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Tom Gabell from Rockingham, North Carolina
(4/24/2003)
 "Worst run ever!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 Even though I had many, many runner friends describe the Boston experience to me. I was totally un-prepared for the sensory overload of this race. The huge spectator crowd was a nightmare straight out of a Steven King novel. The crowd was either heckling, or cheering mindlessly at inappropriate times. I ran my worst marathon ever due to physical problems compounded by the never ending noise generated by this non-running crowd. If this race could be run without the spectators. It would be the greatest marathon ever. I felt chills running on the same course my childhood idols once battled. I will run this marathon again. But next time I will wear a shirt that says 'SHUT UP-I'M TRYING TO RUN' | |
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Henry Crawford from Washington, DC
(4/24/2003)
"It's a great running rush" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 For all its rolling hills and narrow, sloping early miles, this race is the best experience I've had in competitive running. I think it is because of the competitive nature of the field, the excellent, challenging course, but most of all the tremendous crowds from beginning to end. If you have the chance, running 26.2 miles with non-stop cheering is a privilege you should not deny yourself. | |
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J. R. from USA
(4/24/2003)
 "Not up to expectations" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 After reading all the comments here, and many other places, maybe my expectations were too high. The course map is terribly deceiving. There are many more hills than the elevation map shows, which all serve to beat you up. It is a very difficult course. Having to ride a school bus out to Hopkinton over 4 hours before the race begins is tough. While waiting in the starting coral, all I heard was someone on a speaker system 'directing traffic', telling runners how to enter the appropriate coral (wouldn't some signs have sufficed?). Never heard any of the pre-race announcements, never even heard the start of the race. The crowds were good, but not what I expected. Most of the spectators were incredibly supportive, but there were plenty of rude ones as well heckling those who were broken by the course and walking. I am thankful I had the opportunity to experience Boston once, but will never go back. | |
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A. B. from Ohio
(4/23/2003)
"The Ultimate - Boston" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my second Boston, and I still don't have the right words to describe it. The expo is a crowded mad house, the wait in Hopkinton is long, getting to the middle corrals can be a mob scene - but the minute you cross that line in Hopkinton, with every resident cheering you, it's all worth it. From Ashland to Natick, Wellesley to Heartbreak, Cleveland Circle to that last turn onto Boylston - never a dull moment, always the cheers and support of a respectful crowd, every runner a champion. There is no race like Boston - no race more seamlessly organized, no race more steeped in history. By running in the footsteps of the great, each of us becomes great. So I heard the theme to Chariots of Fire the whole way - so what? It's Boston, and there's just nothing in the world like it. | |
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C. F. from Boston, MA
(1/27/2003)
"Good tradition and spectators, poor pre-race" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 The tradition of the Boston Marathon speaks for itself. It is the prize marathon for those of us who have a shot at qualifying - The rack on which to hang our hat and be able to say 'Yes, I qualified and ran Boston.' But, the pre-race is a nightmare. Many people agree that you should try to mimick your marathon day routine in your training. The Boston Marathon does not allow that. In order to prepare properly, one would have to wake up early on long-run days, put on running gear, sit outside for three-and-a-half hours and in what could be cold, rainy, gloomy weather, then begin running at noon. The expectations of the runners prior to the marathon are unsensible. Runners must get on busses in Boston that leave before 8 a.m. for a 12:00 race in order to be guaranteed to make it to the start. There are no indoor facility available lines are huge. The organizers need to make this more runner friendly by changing the course. The race should start and finish in Boston to allow the runners to prepare properly. It can still be scenic by going through the Southie, Charlestown, Bunker Hill, Cambridge, Brookline, or other neighboring towns. This will allow the race to start earlier or allow the runners to remain indoors until a reasonable time before the start. It would also require less volunteers and make organization easier. People may argue that the cours is a tradition, but there are many traditions associated with this race. The course can be changed and still be scenic. |
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