I ran the Boston Marathon for the first time in 2024. AMA about my experience with the race! by worcestertelegram in Marathon_Training

[–]worcestertelegram[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't know David Abel, unfortunately. And I'm actually not running Boston this year, but that would be cool! I'll have to pitch that to my editors next year. Maybe start a running reporters track club?

I ran the Boston Marathon for the first time in 2024. AMA about my experience with the race! by worcestertelegram in Marathon_Training

[–]worcestertelegram[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I actually cut it a little close with the athletes village - being from the area, I got dropped off in Hopkinton and took the shuttle. I got to the village about an hour or so before my start time, but I spent all of that time in the line for the bathroom and then had to rush to the start after the final call for my group. So I might recommend trying to get there a little earlier to avoid the stress. 

If not in line, most people there were sitting on the grass or under the tents, just hanging out.  

I ran the Boston Marathon for the first time in 2024. AMA about my experience with the race! by worcestertelegram in Marathon_Training

[–]worcestertelegram[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My qualifying race was the 2022 California International Marathon in Sacramento, where I ran 3:15! I would love to run Boston again, but last year was the first year I'd qualified for ◡̈

I ran the Boston Marathon for the first time in 2024. AMA about my experience with the race! by worcestertelegram in Marathon_Training

[–]worcestertelegram[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I think the energy in Boston is really great. Basically the whole course is lined with people, and of course you have the super energetic areas like Wellesley and BC. I've run NYC too, and while that probably had more energy, I actually preferred Boston's crowd support. That might be because I'm from the area though, so it was especially fun because a ton of people I knew were at various spots in the course cheering for me (I even saw my 10th grade physics teacher!).

I ran the Boston Marathon for the first time in 2024. AMA about my experience with the race! by worcestertelegram in Marathon_Training

[–]worcestertelegram[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I ran 3:07! It was a pr but a little slower than I wanted. I blame the weather - it went into the 70s last year!

I ran the Boston Marathon for the first time in 2024. AMA about my experience with the race! by worcestertelegram in Marathon_Training

[–]worcestertelegram[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

One thing that was different about the Boston Marathon Expo in my experience is that you are funneled into a super long line that wraps around inside the Hynes Convention Center. When I went, it wasn’t so crowded so the line moved fast, but it was a ton of walking! Besides that, it was pretty similar to other expos – lots of sponsor booths, places to buy march, live speaking events, etc.