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Nov 15, 2024

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 231 to 241]

More Comments: [ < 1 .. 22 23 24 25 26 .. 42 > ]

P. S. from Chicago (4/23/2007) "Amazing/Painful/Amazingly Painful" (about: 2007) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Boston Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 There seems to be a dichotomy here... some thought the race was just amazing, some thought the organization poor. I agree with both. The logistics of a point-to-point race (getting everybody out, and getting their bags back) are daunting, but I agree with some criticisms: the expo was horribly crowded. The finish area and food poorly provided. The beginning, a mess, made much worse by the rain. (I read here about the Blue Village... what blue village? I was in the first wave, and had no idea there was such a thing. Instead, I crouched in the wet, in one of the tents.) But: Boston. The real deal. The one where simply running it gets you "oohs" from friends. We are all amatuers, and we need a goal on which to focus our efforts. Let there be one marathon that you can't just sign up for, but that you have to earn. And for that, I'll put up with the lack of beer in the finish area. I will say this, though: while amentities and comfort may have been lacking, the necessities - i.e., medical care - were exceptional. I'd rather they skimp on the food selection and keep the armies of kind nurses and doctors. See you in 2008!
L. S. from Wisconsin, USA (4/23/2007) "I want a rematch!" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Boston Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 The race was great in spite of the conditions! The weather, or dread thereof, definitely affected my run. I want to try it again under different circumstances. The course lived up to its reputation: tough and challenging. Everything after the Athlete's Village/Swamp was well organized. Great volunteers along the course. The Village and the expo sucked! If I do it again, I'll stay out towards Hopkinton and drive to avoid the village, and not bother shopping in the claustrophobic expo again. The fans were so-so, except for Wellesly, probably because of the weather. I think Chicago had better fan support, and the weather wasn't great there, either (2006).
m. c. from de (4/23/2007) "Organization Needs to Step Up" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Boston Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 The marathon fans in Boston are top-notch... very encouraging and supportive throughout the race. The course is challenging. The organization was not good this year. Running out of large t-shirts by 10:00 a.m. on Sunday is inexcusable. The expo itself was one big fire hazard. You couldn't move. Several buses missed the exit for Hopkinton... which was actually a good thing since it kept us out of the rain longer. But should it really take one hour and 50 minutes to get from Boston to Hopkinton? Boston is still special but the organizers need to start catering to the reputation of the race.
K. J. from DC (4/23/2007) ""Hey! Less talking - more running!"" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Boston Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 -A quote from a spectator around mile 3. Between laughing at the spectator comments and crying while passing the more storied landmarks, I'm shocked to have finished. As a native of the area and former fat kid, it was all a bit overwhelming to 1) have qualified in the first place (admittedly, barely), and 2) actually run this race. I've read the other comments and agree with most of them. And I think I met some of the same snarky runners on the course that the lady from Atlanta did. One complained loudly to a neighbor: "What the #&* are you doing? You're crowding me!" when the field was forced to compress, to allow a fire truck out of its station. Another pushed her through the corrals shouting, "Get out of my way!" - apparently because she was in a higher corral...? Mind, at this point it's 10:40 a.m., we're walking through the 22,000 corral, and the 2nd wave has been off for 10 minutes. Um... ChampionChip.... I can't speak to the expo issues as I went on Friday (not crowded at all), or the bag claim/T closure issues (family local so I didn't need either). I've only run small (< 2,000) races in the past, so yeah, I guess in comparison, there were some organizational issues, but they seem excusable to me given the field size. (That said, the BAA is full of itself.) As to the course - and I can't stress this enough - DECLINES BAD. The up"hills" of Newton? A relief after the 17-mile descent. And I'm guessing at which hill was Heartbreak based on the spectators, since no one hill was particularly lengthy or steep. (I train in and around DC/Tyson's, if that helps anyone gauge how I'm defining a "hill.") To everyone who lives along the race course - especially to the residents of Hopkinton, who bear the brunt - thank you for putting up with the unholy godawful mess. And of course, I'd do it all again.
E. M. from Ohio, United States (4/22/2007) "Boston - History in the making each year!" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Boston Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 I have run a total of 7 marathons and 2 Boston's, so still a bit of a novice. Positives: GREAT fans! While the weather and earlier start from years past made for a personally very challenging race for me, the fans throughout made this a GREAT and SPECIAL event. Wellesley and BC carried me. Boston truly supports what this race stands for: appreciation for the effort of all runners and there to support rain or shine. Negatives: I know the race organizers will probably not read this, but what the heck. My only complaint about this great race is the post-race stuff: food, bag distribution, etc. The food is just the pits. PowerBars and fruit? The worst of all the marathons I have run. Provide chowder, brats, beer, etc.... You have to provide more. As for bag distribution, horrible. I do not really fault the 2 volunteers/bus trying to give out the bags. They need more volunteers to help get the gear bags out to runners, it's that simple. Overall: Great course, great fans, great atmosphere. Expo is ok, but the post-race is horrible. If you do qualify for this race, run it for all the right reasons, and enjoy the ride!
j. g. from SCHAHUMBURG, IL (4/22/2007) "2007 Boston is what the sport is about" (about: 2007) 3 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I think the greatest thing about this race is the quality of the runners. Running marathons makes you tough, qualifying for Boston makes you tougher, and running Boston after soaking and shivering in Hopkington for three hours makes you a monster. What we endured before during and after the race is everything that marathon running is about. I heard few complaints. Despite my disappointing performance, I took from Boston the value of not quitting in the face of adversity. By mile 17, I was in trouble due to unanticipated medical problems, but the honor of running with the best amateur running has to offer kept me going. I never had to get medical treatment during a race until this race and and the angels at the medical tent at mile 23 came to my aid. I offer them sincerest gratitude. As far as the race itself is concerned, this race had a seriousness (business-like quality) about it that I like. I doubt I will go through the hassle of doing Boston again. However, that is not reflection of the race organization or Mother Nature. Big races are always big hassles. One thing should be changed: Men urinating along the side of the road should not be allowed. I think that is disrespectful to the people who live along the course. I stood in line before the race to address this issue and the organizers arranged PLENTY of facilities for this purpose.
S. J. from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (4/22/2007) "Boston Marathon Comments" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Boston Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 As a first time runner of Boston, this was my 8th marathon overall. I think your experience in Boston will be based on your expectations and/or reason for running Boston. Having always run smaller marathons (Baltimore, Steamtown, etc...), I found the size and logistical challenges of Boston to be tedious, as they don't really contribute to me running a fast time (my motivation). If you are looking for a good experience and are not as concerned about your time, Boston can be incredible. Great fans, challenging course (gotta love those hills from 16 - 20), great history, exciting international talent (this is the first marathon I've run where they actually give you a program...). In terms of the run itself, a couple of things I learned: -You can PR. I didn't run as fast as I had hoped, but I still PR'd by 7 minutes over my previous PR from the fall. When people tell you that you can't PR your first time at Boston because of the crowds, the hills, etc... they are wrong. If you train, and your tune-up half-marathon shows improvement, expect to PR. Don't let yourself off the hook just because people tell you it can't be done. -You need to front-load this race. I normally run a steady pace - my back half might be 10 - 15 seconds slower at a race like Baltimore. In this race, I lost 2 minutes on the back half. While I think I lost about a minute to the crowd congestion in the front half, there was nothing more that I was able to give on the back half. Also, the crowd became a non-issue at about mile 6 (that was the case for me - started in corral 5, ran a 3:02 pace, but that might not be the same at all paces, or in the second wave, etc...). -Do your hill work. The hills from 16 - 20 are tough, but not just because of the inclines - it's the up-down-up-down routine that just crushes your legs. You need to mimic this in training. Having run Pike's Peak a few years ago, I wasn't scared by the declines - I thought I'd be able to kick out a fast mile at the decline on 21. Wasn't the case though. My legs were fried at that point, and I was just trying to survive for the rest of the race. I never got my pace back to what it was prior to the Newton Hills during the 6 miles after those hills. Normally, mile 26 is a fun, fast mile for me. Leg pain goes away, etc.... Not the case in this one - a long, miserable last mile. Absolutely hammered by this course. -I ran for one of the charities. I chose to do this in a moment of inspiration, after reading someone else's story who was running for one of the Boston charities. I ran for Children's Hospital. Showing up with my own number meant that I only needed to raise $500 (as opposed to $3k for people who get their number through Children's). I was amazed at the generosity of my family and friends as they helped me easily to meet and exceed this requirement. I would recommend taking a look into these charity options. In addition to the obvious social benefit, they provide significant benefits to you as a runner. In the case of Children's, I didn't need to wait at the Athlete's Village. We had the Masonic Hall - right next to Corral 2 of the starting line. Can't beat that convenience - bathrooms, an easy bag check, indoors, right at the starting line, etc... -The expo is pretty annoying. Absolute mob scene. Not a good way to burn energy the day before a marathon. I picked up my number (luckily in a different corridor than the vendor portion of the expo), and then didn't even bother going shopping - too many people to fight through. Also, they run out of shirt sizes. By the time I got there at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, all they had left was SM and MED. Not cool to not get your shirt size after shelling out $95. I've heard this isn't uncommon at Boston, which is disappointing. At least my wife got a new shirt for my run.... All in all, I'm glad I ran this race, but I don't intend to run it again any time soon. A lot of hype surrounds it (deservedly so), but if you are at a point in your running where you are focusing on PRs and trying to get faster in the marathon, this race doesn't contribute much to that effort.
C. H. from Chandler, AZ (4/22/2007) "Great Race Organization Under Difficult Conditions" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Boston Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first Boston, and it certainly lived up to its reputation. Despite cool temperatures (mid 40's), some rain, and a pretty strong headwind for most of the course, the ability of the marathon organizers to organize the start, prepare the course, and provide a memorable experience was amazing. You must prepare for the declines during the first half of the race to enjoy your Boston experience. The four hills on the back half of the course are not steep and are not particularly long, but if you cannot lift your knees because of sore quads, you will struggle. Even on a difficult day weather-wise, the spectators will lift you up if you are physically able. I ran about even splits (~1:38 on both sides), and thoroughly enjoyed running the downhills on Beacon St. through miles 23-25. Although the adrenaline (it is Boston!) and declines at the start are very tempting, try to resist too strong a pace and you will be rewarded with a very strong finish.
L. K. from San Diego, CA (4/20/2007) "Better than Expected" (about: 2007) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Boston Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 12th Boston and not among the worst weather conditions. Although the rain was unpleasant in Hopkinton, it tapered off by race start and the wind was not a major problem. The organizers did a great job and those hardy Boston fans were not deterred by the foul weather.
M. S. from Washington, DC (4/20/2007) "How Does It Compare" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Everyone told me how great the spectators at Boston were and that they were the best. Well, Chicago rivals Boston. Maybe not at the finish line but along the course, Chicago's are better. More of them and louder. At no point in Chicago (2006) were there no spectators. There were lots of places along the course in Boston with none. Maybe it was the earlier start, maybe it was the weather, not sure. However, Boston was still an amazing experience and one I'm glad to have run. If you can get in, do it.

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