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Apr 27, 2024

Boston Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.6

Organization 4.6

Spectators 4.9

Number of comments: 418 [displaying comments 31 to 41]

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S. C. from Portland OR (5/10/2014) "BAA is awesome" (about: 2014) 50+ previous marathons \| 2 Boston Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I only made it to 25.5 last year. BAA was fantastic to us non-finishers. And then they totally nailed it in 2014 to make 'coming back' very special. BAA is a first rate organization. Hands down! NYC, pay attention.
Jason Hall from Ann Arbor, Michigan (4/28/2014) "Timeless" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 3 Boston Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The Boston Marathon was, again, an amazing experience. The hospitality of Boston and the organization of the race is first rate.
B. S. from New York, NY (4/22/2014) "The Ultimate Marathon" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Boston Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The oldest marathon in the World is also the best. There are many characteristic moments that have been well-documented here (start in small town Hopkinton, Wellesley girls, Heartbreak Hill, huge crowds in Boston). Here are a few of my most memorable moments: - Passing Team Hoyt in their final marathon. All the people running with me started to cheer. I got chills. - Hearing around mile 18 that Meb won. Again, all the runners let out a cheer. What an amazing accomplishment on such a poignant day. - The huge wall of sound through the last mile. My ears got sore at times. - Saying a quick hello to the great champion Joan Benoit Samuelson at the end. I have done 11 marathons, and this was the hardest. I was five minutes off my PR which I set two months ago. Not a great course for that, but if you like running, Boston lives up to the hype.
M. W. from Washington State (4/9/2014) "Unforgettable event-still the Best Marathon" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Boston Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I like the Boston Marathon, It was the best one for marathon runners. The 2013 was my 4th. It turned out to be the most unforgettable one. I came to the race with great excitement from the invitation and great hope. Several weeks before the race, I had terrible case of Plantar Fasciitis. The heel pain was excruciating while I was near the peak of training. Frustrated, I feared that I would have to hobble to the finish this time at Boston. When the pain receded very shortly before the race, I was overjoyed at this new pain-free condition and ready to sprint into the race with renewed hope. It was so exciting to come to Boston. Quite a few runners from our region, and we had Saturday get-together lunch at the Dillions on Boylston Street. The recovery from PF made me as jubilating like a first timer Boston as some of our group. All the hard work, suffering and training were over, celebration time! We were ready for the triumphant finale on Monday, on Patriots Day! We enjoyed the lunch, the Samuel Adams beer, shared the training trial and tribulation, Boston touring and EXPO, with one another, with family. We had the group picture in our handsome blue BM jackets. It was a party! We all got excited for the coming 26.2 race. I enjoyed more each time in Boston. On race day, with DB, EH, the three of us who trained together met up at the Boston Common and rode the bus together to Hopkinton. It was a beautiful day with sunshine. Another party time at the big tent! We walked around, meeting other runners, getting the picture taken, food, drink. It was fun and very relaxing. The lady in front of me at the toilet line just did London Marathon a week ago, told me Boston is the best, I just ran London, it was similar, but not as well-organized as Boston, and yes, she did run Boston before. Her opinion resonated mine about Boston and helped me to pick Melbourne as next place for marathon and touring, as it would be a totally new experience. Like last year, everything was well-done and organized and weather was even another plus. This was a great crowd I was in; positive, determined and motivated athletes who trained 6 months or longer to be there. I came across at least two runners who used guides to lead their way for this tough race due to handicapped vision. Beating PF seemed to be a small obstacle to overcome. The spectators all along the course were fabulous, best among all the races I was in, not to mention the girls in Wellesley who were not only passionate but also made such impression with their funny signs. When you came into town, the Boston College students were just as wild in supporting the runners. They truly energized the runners. I picked the positive energy from the spectators, young and old, and dashed downhill even with the resurfaced heel pain. Boston was all worth it. I beat last year time by 7 min and made it under 4 hours, a great feat for me. I could barely walk when I saw my training partner DB at the finish. We walked slowly to the water, blanket, medals, goodie bag and then to the packet pickup truck. While trying best to relax and recover, we heard the loud explosion behind. It was only about 200 yard from us. I thought it was some machinery malfunction from that building nearby. Then another explosion came. Not machinery for sure, I figured. I asked DB what he thought it was. A retired Navy, he responded Whatever it is, it is nothing good. It made sense. I did not see anyone panic, runners slowly proceeded through the finish area all remained calm, so were the stuff and volunteers. But there were endless ambulances, sirens. And there were numerous wheelchairs pushed by one after the other. I have never seen that many ever before. Something went wrong for sure. Then, we went to the family re-union area, waiting to recover from the cramp and fatigue. We planned to take photos with the medals in a little while. That was when the police asked us to evacuate the re-union area. At that time it was clear that something bad happened. This just couldnt be. The culture center and academic capital, the epic race of all the marathons was hit by terrible attack bombing. Not knowing that some of the MBTA stopped service, we dropped DB at the South Station. Later, we found it was a long, long walk for him back to his hotel. That night, we texted one another to see if everyone were okay. We got numerous concerned phone calls and text messages from family and friends about our safety, including our hometown newspaper. We were all very touched by the concern shown to us. The tragedy appeared to bring out the best of us. However, we were all very saddened by the horrific event. It was supposedly to be celebrating and joyful, but turned into heart wrenching horror. Our hearts go out to the people came to support and to cheer us and who lost life or limbs due to the bombing. This will be an unforgettable day in every Boston runners life. After we came home, our group had a re-union and did a Boston Recovery Run together, it was reminiscent, healing and a bonding experience. Boston brought us together. Many of us will be in the race 2014 and more runners from our region are going to show support as well. Just days ago, we met to have team T-shirts designed with Boston Strong logo made to be worn to show our solidarity in the 2014 Boston Marathon race. Yes, there will be lunch meet to cheer on each other and to show support for the Boston people and to run the greatest race on earth.
S. F. from Roseburg, Oregon (5/10/2013) "It was an awesome race and day was beautiful!" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Boston Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Everything went well, except I got stuck in potty line and missed my wave. I was the first or second person out of Wave 3 and enjoyed running mostly all by myself for about 8 miles. I started off too fast and got burned at the end. Plus got a bad cramp in my quad.
W. W. from Los Angeles (5/5/2013) "American's Favorite Marathon" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Boston Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 If you are still trying to qualify for Boston Marathon, keep trying hard. The marathon event is well worth for you to try hard to get there. You will not be disappointed to everything you tried. Bostonians are very proud of their beloved Boston Marathon. The fan base is the best you can ever imagine about. You are the star along the way. The organizers are world class in event management. All runners are felt welcome. Each step is well taken care of, including the registration, confirmation, bib number claim, dinner before the race, transportation to the start line, the start area preparation, the supply along the course, and the finish area services. Believe or not: The number of volunteers is larger than the number of runners in this event. The course is relative narrow in considering the number of runners on the course with the same pace at the start section. You may not be able to run at your own pace in the first 5 miles, at least, that's what I felt. You have to 'fight' out your running lane, or to follow some certain pace you may not comfortable with.
B. C. from Worcester, MA (4/23/2013) "Finish Line Eyewitness Report" (about: 2013) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Boston Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Race day started with promise and enthusiasm with the cooler temperatures. The starting line was abuzz about PRs and personal Boston bests. Evidenced by the too many to count runners who scanned their wristwatches as they ran the last five miles. I crossed the finish line at 2:45 pm with a face smiling and a 3:57:33 time. Taking a picture with my wife next to the medical tent is a tradition unlike few others in my family. Joy, love, sweat and 'BANG'. Only five minutes after finish the heaven turned to hell. Maybe a canon I thought...but I know I would have seen one next to the finish line and thought it odd. No, this was bad. The second 'BOOM' confirmed bad had gone to worse. In only a few minutes we saw the parade of wheelchairs driven by the first responders in a flurry to the medical tent. The crowd in the finish chute was frozen caused by finish fatigue and eye popping amazement of the billowing smoke. We saw what we would not want others to see. The stuff we would hide from our children's eyes in a bad movie. Ground Zero had come to Boston. Our home. Our race. Impressed I was with the calmness of the BAA volunteers, police and runners. Instructions were clear, 'Please keep moving away from the finish line, please'. Can you believe I heard 'Please'? The police calmly stated another bomb may be located nearby, so 'PLEASE keep moving'. So much concern for our safety. Compliance was easy. After finding our way into our hotel nearby, I was stunned to learn only 20 minutes had elapsed on my watch. A lifetime of tragedy lasting only 20 minutes. Odd how time slows down so much. A medal earned? A finish time treasured? No. Just sadness.
B. G. from Cupertino, CA (4/22/2013) "Thoughts from a first time Boston Marathoner" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Boston Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I went with my family to the 2013 Boston Marathon. We stayed in the Copley Square Hotel which was very convenient to the finish line; however, it was almost a mile from where the buses were loading for the start. I think staying closer to where the buses were leaving (maybe the Four Seasons) would make more sense. My whole family ran the 5k on Sunday; that was a good, well organized event. The organization for the buses on Sunday morning was impressive. I got there early (about 6am) for the first wave, and I was amazed how many people were already in line. We got to the 'village' about 6:30 and set up tarps on the ground (bring tarps and/or throwaway sleeping bags). It was really fun waiting for a few hours in the village. There was plenty of food, water, Gatorade, and coffee. The bathroom lines started getting pretty long at about 8:30. The walk to the start line is about 3/4 of a mile (and there are bathrooms on the way that didn't have long lines). The race itself was impressive. The crowds were huge at every city. Nothing can prepare you for the screaming girls at Wellesley. I started getting really sore quads just into the hills of Newton, and I ended up running about 10min slower (3:13) than I wanted to run. But, I was proud that I was able to finish without walking. The only place I'd say the organization was not good was to get the food, medals, etc at the finish. There were very long lines to get to the first person giving out each thing, but there were plenty of other people available just waiting to give out food This could have been organized better. I'm not going to comment on the incidents after the marathon. I will come back to Boston to run again next year.
M. M. from Washington State (4/3/2013) "GREAT MARATHON - even it was hot!" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 3 Boston Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my third Boston Marathon. It was hotter than 2008 and even hotter than 2004 when it went over 85F. The organizers, runners, volunteers and people in MA made it another great race. I would do it again even with high temperatures. We had plenty of warning about the heat, both at the EXPO and by email, and a choice of deferring to 2013. There were several thousand who took the deferment due to the heat. For me, deferring my favorite marathon was out of the question. Besides, my training partner DB was here for his First Boston. There was plenty of BM merchandise in the EXPO. The orange jackets and other gear were in color with the time. It was a nice change from BM blue. Visors were available for the first time and BM unicorn mascots. There were several excellent seminars about health and running. Compared to another world marathon major, Berlin, which I ran in 2011, the EXPO was better in variety, merchandises, samples, seminars and prices. The bus ride to Hopkinton was smooth compared to 2008 when the bus was delayed mid-way, causing many to miss the big-tent social opportunity. That is always fun before the race. In my first mile, the heat really got to me and I was unsure if I could finish. However, the runners near me were running strong. I went along with the crowd from Hopkinton onwards. There was no physical or visual crowding problem, since we were the third wave and started in different corrals in sequence. This contrasted favorably with the 2011 Berlin Marathon, where the crowding was definitely a problem. Im short and could not see ahead through most of that race. All I could do was to follow the crowd without seeing where the course went. At Boston, I could see where the course was turning, and where I could squeeze through if I saw the chance. When I caught up with my training partner DB, we decided to run our individual paces and meet at the finish. We passed each other several times since we had different timing at the water stations. I stopped for water and Gatorade as often as I needed and also carried my own bottle. I took advantage of all the mist tents to cool off and got the wet shoes. With wet shoes, and pain in the toes, I knew I might have black toes developing. Black toes are almost a BM trademark for me as I got them in both of my last two races. It took a long time to heal and may leave a permanent mark. Just I was wondering about my choice: my toes or the 'All in BM,' there was a huge sign that no runner would miss it, saying 'WHAT ABOUT BLACK TOES? BOSTON IS ALL IN!' Yeah, what about black toes, once in four years! It had to be ALL IN! I got so excited by the Wellesley girls and high-fived as many as I could, which electrified me. That gave me an adrenaline pump! When I ran into Boston proper, the BC students were even more passionate in cheering us on! The magic part was some of them could even call out our names to cheer us even though we did not have names displayed. They must have used mobile devices to find names from bib numbers. The Boston young people in the digital age: magically advanced! When the young man yelled at me 'You are the first BLUE!' (Color of the third wave runners) What?! It had been a very busy year; my son's wedding at end of March, and, my daughter expecting a baby. Unlike last two times, they did not make it to Boston to cheer me on. I was only hoping for a BQ finish. I could not believe my ears. There was such a big crowd; he might have missed quite a few 'blue' runners. So onward I went, speeding up as much as I could downhill, knowing that my toes would be black. The possibility of the first BLUE cancelled almost all pain. Eventually, I found out that I did finish first in my division. It felt like a miracle. My husband and I did not know what to do about the news; where was the awards ceremony? I did not have the runner's booklet with me nor did any runners nearby. That information was supposedly irrelevant to people like me who started running late in life. We went back to our hotel, got the location from the pamphlet around 4:40 PM. We grabbed a taxi only to find that the ceremony was inside the restricted race area. After checking all the big hotels, we finally found it and got in at 5:16PM. Well, it was the best award ceremony that I have attended. It was formal and inspirational but done in a relaxing manner. It was a full house in the Grand Ballroom with many reporters and photographers. There were winners with incredible finish times considering the heat. My finish was nothing spectacular, but it was like a dream that I did it. I guess anyone could get where I was that day by fluke of nature. It was just magic! Boston can be magic for anyone! The organizers provided more than enough hydration and refuel support. The volunteers and spectators along the course also provided the same. The cheering, high-fiving, encouragement from the spectators and the screaming from the Wellesley girls, and later, the BC students were overwhelming and helped the runners to keep going. It was a superbly-managed race with maximum support to the runners. Qualifying for my first Boston was magic. To win a division was a miracle! Or something just slightly short of one. I think every runner can have the chance to experience this type of MAGIC. It is exhilarating! The Boston Marathon is the best race to strive for.
K. F. from Charlotte, NC (10/18/2012) "A Dream Come True" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Boston Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I starting running because I wanted to run the Boston Marathon. It took me six marathons to qualify, but when I did, I was elated and couldn't wait to register for and run Boston. I had high expectations for Boston-it is THE marathon, and my expectations were all completely exceeded. WOW. The organizers, the expo, the towns, and spectatorsall top top notch. So it was pretty hot during the 2012 race. And yes, the heat did affect my finishing time. But my goal was to finish with a smile on my face, and I achieved that goal. And that smile came from: the incredibly organized bus ride to Hopkinton, the relaxing but exciting Athlete's village with a pre race massage tent, the cute towns along the course, and the spectators along the ENTIRE course. The spectators really were fantastic in helping to beat the heatthey came out with extra cups of water, ice cubs, and hoses with spray nozzles. THANK YOU. It's easy to say that everyone should run this race, but it's not always so easy to get there. But do whatever you can to, because it was completely worth it!

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