Who was that guy leading the first 21 miles of the Boston Marathon? CJ Albertson, of course! We at Team RunRun knew who that rockstar runner and coach was! Read on for CJ’s Boston Marathon Race Report.

Race: Boston Marathon

Runner: CJ Albertson

Race Date: 10/11/2021

Location: Boston

Results: https://boston-iframe.r.mikatiming.net/2021/?pid=leaderboard

Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/6097591246

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

1. Leading the first 21 Miles.
2. Interacting with the crowd.
3. Blasting down the hills.

Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

You can’t complain about anything in Boston.

Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

Train for the downhills.

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

There’s a lot of downhill; train for the downhills.

Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?

It’s Boston!

Difficulty – Is it a tough course?

Did I mention there’s downhills! Lots of downhills!

Competition – Is there a strong field?

It’s not bad 🙂

Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?

Best water passers in the world!

Weather and typical race conditions

Could literally be any weather. But October, 11th 2021 was very nice.

Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next runner?

Brooks jersey, Brooks shorts, Hyperion Elite 2’s.

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

My friends (and complete strangers) told me they had a wonderful time watching on TV 🙂

How’s the Swag?

Not as good as Brooks.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

10/10

CJ Albertson is a coach with Team RunRun. To learn more about him or to work with Coach CJ, check out his coaching page.

Race: Boston Marathon

Runner: Dakotah Lindwurm

Race Date: 10/11/2021

Location: Boston, MA

Results: 2:31:04, 13th Overall, 3rd American

Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/6097639897

3 Bests – What aspects of the Boston Marathon did you like the most?

The absolute best part of the race is the crowd and the atmosphere. There are almost no silent parts of the race. You have support the entire way, and that is not something you find in many marathons.

I was also really impressed in how many water stops there are. They have one every mile after mile 2, again, this is something I have never seen before.

Not so much – What aspects of the Boston Marathon didn’t do it for you?

There wasn’t anything I would say that I didn’t like about the race or the experience, but the course was more difficult than I had anticipated. For me Heartbreak Hill was not the problem, but more so the first hill you encounter in Newton. For me that felt more like a mountain than a hill. After that, the other three Newton Hills were small in comparison.

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your marathon in particular?

Something I felt I did well was staying calm under pressure and in situations I wasn’t necessarily comfortable with. From the gun, the other elite women were running a strategic race, and no one wanted to take the lead into the headwind. I had a race pace in mind that I planned to stick to, and to my surprise that was enough to lead the race.

I personally use visualization all of the time, so I certainly didn’t feel unprepared for this situation, but never in my wildest dreams did I feel like I would actually be leading. Even though I tried mightily to allow someone else to take the charge, the other women were content with me setting the pace. I had to stay calm and keep my emotions in check during that time of the race.

Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the Boston Marathon to help the next runner

While you may not ever find yourself leading a World Marathon Major; you will more than likely find yourself in a position during a race that is less than ideal. You can combat these situations with visualization.

When you’re training you have a lot of time to think about your race. It is super fun to think about all of the ways the race could go well and imagine all the great possibilities that could unfold. And I encourage you to visualize those situations and enjoy that time. BUT also take time to imagine the weather being too warm, too cold, and too wet. Think about how you will feel and how you will adjust not only your race, but also your mindset. With all of the training you put into longer races you have time to think through thousands of scenarios.

Lessons you learned that will help you next time around

Next time I will have more appropriate expectations for the hills. For those who haven’t run Boston and want to train for it, I would train on hills bigger than you imagine the Newton hills to be.

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

Book hotels and flights early, they get expensive quickly.

Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?

Every mile they had water and gatorade. They also had three Maurten stops.

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

It is a straight shot, so in the aspect of friends and family seeing you on the course, it is not spectator friendly.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

5/5!

Dakotah Lindwurm is a coach with Team RunRun. To learn more about her or to work with Coach Dakotah, check out her coaching page.

“I ran my first Boston Marathon in 2014 and that was my way of honoring those who lost their lives or were injured during the 2013 Boston marathon bombings. This year was my third. Boston is special because it attracts runners from all over the world. The diversity is electrifying and the crowd, galvanizing. Despite the weather this year, Bostonians showed up, cheering for the runners all the way to the finish.”

Race: Boston Marathon 2018

Runner: Ather H

Date: 4/16/2018

Location: Boston, MA

Results: 3:07:08, (2862th place off 26948 starts!)

Strava Activity Link: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2628955581

3 Bests – What aspects of the Boston Marathon did you like the most?

1. If I were the most interesting man in the world, I’d say “I don’t normally run road races, but when I do, it’s either Boston or qualifying for it”.
2. I ran my first Boston in 2014 and that was my way of honoring those who lost their lives or were injured during the 2013 Boston marathon bombings. This year was my third. Boston is special because it attracts runners from all over the world. The diversity is electrifying and the crowd, galvanizing. Despite the weather this year, Bostonians showed up, cheering for the runners all the way to the finish.
3. Finally, it is really the thousands of volunteers who make this race a success.

Not so much – What aspects of the Boston Marathon didn’t do it for you?

The weather was a bit of a challenge this year but you’ve probably heard that by now! Many of us had to wait (shivering in the cold and rain) upwards of an hour near the gear check, after crossing the finish line. The gear check is divided by bib numbers and given that at the Boston Marathon, your bib number is your seeding, numbers close to each other, finish close to each other as well. The gear check stalls catering to a certain bib range was crowded whereas the rest were empty. Hopefully they can fix this by having, say, 9 sections, based on the first number of your bib.

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about the Boston Marathon?

• The Boston Marathon was ‘men’s only’ until 1972. Kathrine Switzer famously entered as “KV Switzer” in 1967 and was nearly stopped by an official. She was able to dodge away and finish.
• This year, the finish rate for women was higher than men, despite the conditions. Take that, race director(s) of 1960s!

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

• It was fun to strike conversations with fellow race participants and hear their stories on the bus ride to Hopkington and also at the village.
• I brought extra clothes to the start and was adequately prepared for the weather (given we spend at least 2 hours at the village before the race start at 10am). This included extra fleece, rain poncho and hand warmers. For a race like Boston where there is a noticeable wait time at the start, I highly recommend looking at the weather forecast and dressing accordingly. This implies including throw away clothes. There are clothes bins at the start and the clothes you shred away, get donated.

Lessons Learned – Share your pro-tips on the Boston Marathon to help the next runner or yourself on the next time around

I underestimated the hail and headwind and decided to race in a t-shirt. I left my rain jacket at the gear check (so that I could collect it after crossing the finish line) and in hindsight, I should’ve worn it, like Desiree! It was cold all through the 26.2 miles. At times we had wind gusts and hail and by mile 17, I was shivering uncontrollably and not able to sustain the core temperature.

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the Boston Marathon?

The early downhills can easily entice runners into a faster-than-planned start. The latter half of Boston has a few short climbs including the famous heartbreak hill so starting conservatively definitely helps.

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

It’s the Boston Marathon! Despite the weather, we had 7000+ volunteers show up and help out at the race.

Logistics – Anything special regarding getting to/from the race, hotels around the course, registration…?

Hotels book out months in advance. I had luck booking hostels at the last minute a couple of times in the past (Boston backpackers hostel is 10 min train ride away from the finish). Having said that, if you are planning to run the Boston Marathon, it is recommended that you book a hotel 8-10 months in advance (before you officially apply!)

Weather and typical race conditions

My first Boston (2014) was 80+F degrees and sunny. 2015 was rainy and in the 50’s – sort of like Seattle weather. This year definitely stands out in terms of the adverse weather conditions. There was ice on the roads in Hopkington when we arrived and it hailed on us multiple times during the race.

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

While that number may have been lower than usual this year, upwards of half a million people show up to cheer on the runners – it is definitely one of the most spectated races in the world. The traffic is super slow moving on race day however so plan accordingly.

How’s the swag?

The unicorn medal is pretty cool. The full sleeve tee is one of my favorites for cold weather running. A lot of people purchase the boston ‘celebration’ jacket.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give the Boston Marathon and do you recommend that others run it?

11/10. Boston is special – will definitely go back and run every few years, as long as I continue to qualify.

Looking for more intel on the Boston Marathon? Read all of our runners’ reviews on our Boston Marathon intel page!

In this Boston Marathon Race Report, runner Alan shares his experience running the 2018 race, including how he coped with bad weather.

Race: Boston Marathon

Runner: Alan V

Date: 4/16/2018

Location: Boston, MA

Results: 2619th in 3:05

Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/1514967816

3 Bests – What aspects of the Boston Marathon did you like the most?

1. The magnitude of the event. So many people from all over the globe there to run. Walking around Boston seemed like everyone was running or knew someone running and every one of my Uber drivers asked if I was running too.
2. Super well organized. Didn’t have any issues with anything.
3. The course is full of spectators, even on a shitty weather day.

Not so much – What aspects of the Boston Marathon didn’t do it for you?

I enjoyed it all!

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about the marathon?

Nothing weird about the race. Just a weird Uber driver.

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

I finished. Other than that it was a sufferfest with the wild weather.

Lessons Learned – Share your pro-tips on the Boston Marathon to help the next runner or yourself on the next time around

Get a hotel early. As you as you find out you’re in, get one. Prices suck the longer you wait.

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the Boston Marathon?

It’s an easy course other than 2 or 3 hills that will slow you down. Know when they are and do your hill workouts and you’ll crush them.

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

Super well organized

Logistics – Anything special regarding getting to/from the race, hotels around the course, registration…?

Plan ahead and you’ll be fine. I used uber the entire time I was there and my hotel provided a shuttle to Boston Commons.

Weather and typical race conditions

This year it sucked. My toes were numb way before the start of the race. At the athletes village it was muddy, rainy, and there was some snow on the ground. During the race it was miserable but memorable. At the finish picking up drop bags, everyone was huddled like those penguins in that documentary (March of the Penguins).

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

Yes, from start to finish it was loud. Even under crappy weather the crowd brought me home.

How’s the swag?

Pretty good.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give the Boston Marathon and do you recommend that others run it?

5/5. I’ll be back

Looking for more intel on the Boston Marathon? Read all of our runners’ reviews on our Boston Marathon intel page!

“The Boston Marathon course has it all. Downhills, late hills, crowds, flats. It’s really great course to push you mentally as you need to hold back, save for the back and keep pushing. It’s also a course of ‘Americana’ as you literally start by going down a one lane road, picket fences, home over 200 yrs old, small flag poles only to run to bit bigger town squares, taller flag poles ultimately into the city. It’s like going through the evolution of how cities became cities…”

Race: Boston Marathon

Runner: Andrew K

Date: 4/16/2018

Location: Boston, MA

Results: 3:18:27

Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/1521185508

3 Bests – What aspects of the Boston Marathon did you like the most?

1. City/Boston – Marathon Weekend in Boston is great. The entire city morphs from a Celtics, Red Sox, Bruins and Pats town into the mecca of running. Boston’s history is full of pride and the feel of the city on marathon weekend can really be special as runners descend from all over the world.
2. Course – The Boston Marathon course has it all. Downhills, late hills, crowds, flats. It’s really great course to push you mentally as you need to hold back, save for the back and keep pushing. It’s also a course of ‘Americana’ as you literally start by going down a one lane road, picket fences, home over 200 yrs old, small flag poles only to run to bit bigger town squares, taller flag poles ultimately into the city. It’s like going through the evolution of how cities became cities…
3. Crowds – They really come out and are so great. BBQ on front lawns, porches full of people, kids wanting a high five into downtown Boston where the noise is so loud you ‘feel’ the noise in your body. They are proud of the marathon and it shows. They are proud of you for being there even though they don’t know you.

Not so much – What aspects of the Boston Marathon didn’t do it for you?

1. Weather – It’s notorious for shifting weather year to year. 2018 was especially epic but just know you could be doing a race in heat, wind, rain, cold as NE Springs has so much variability due to systems from the Great Lakes, Atlantic Ocean, etc.
2. Bus Ride/Start – It goes smoothly, but taking a hour bus ride to the start super early, to sit around with no gear check can be hard to plan for. It makes your morning very different than you might expect.
3. Expo / Bib Location – They have moved the expo to the trade center which is not convenient. It used to be right on Boylston near the finish which I preferred. The new spot makes it an endeavor you have to plan around.

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?

Nothing to odd as they don’t allow costumes etc. I guess the Wellesly kissing line could be odd. The screams are awesome at near mid way but I guess some (including the married guy) might find the pleas for a kiss strange with young girls with homemade signs. It’s part of the history and I just giggle but it’s kinda weird.

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

1. Running with Meb! Meb Keflezighi was in my corral and running the first 10 with him was really special.
2. Meeting Scott Jurek at the Expo was fun, telling him ‘hi’ from Coach Uli turned into a chat about Seattle running.
3. Finishing. My goals were destroyed this year. But with the weather, having the flu 3 weeks prior, traveling six time zones all made the challenge somehow less about competing and more about completing. So when I stumbled across the finish, the medal meant so much more than any other year.

Lessons Learned – Share your pro-tips on the Boston Marathon to help the next runner or yourself on the next time around

Prep for the morning by bringing clothes to donate. Bring trashbags to sit on and really think through your fueling strategy. Some people buy stuff at the Goodwill so they don’t have to give up their gear.

Save yourself and know that when you take a sharp right at the Newton Fire Station, it’s now ‘on’. This is where I think the challenge begins mentally and physically.

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the Boston Marathon?

1-10 Downhill. You can go tad faster but so easy to over do it.
10-18 – Flats to Rolling. Locking your pace.
18-22 – Hills. Late stage, not steep but subsequent progression is hard as you shift muscles.
22+ Bring it home.

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

Very well organized. It’s a machine and they really put on a world class event from newsletters months out, videos, Apps for your phone, partnerships with athletes and even Spotify for a custom running playlist etc.

Logistics – Anything special regarding getting to/from the race, hotels around the course, registration…?

Staying anywhere near the Common or Copley Sq is ideal but pricey. What you save in time, hassle is worth IMHO the extra money. Ask you hotel in advance if they have morning of marathon special breakfasts/hours to make sure you can eat. Prices surge this weekend so booking early before they enforce no cancellation is ideal so you can shift/bail as you need to.

Weather and typical race conditions

Expect anything. Boston weather is unique based on where it is geographically and how weather sets up in the Spring from the Great Lakes, Canada, Atlantic Ocean etc.

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

Yes, very. The route allows spectators to take subways/trains/cars out to the course. Anything within the last 1mi likely requires camping out from 9am on. If you have just a spouse etc, they can push their way to the fence on Boylston for 30mins when you expect to pass with a lot of smiles.

How’s the swag?

Great long sleeved T-shirt by Adidas. Goodie bag has little items like bottle openers, stickers etc. Most of the really good stuff is for sale so expect to blow up your credit card at the Expo as somehow you just really need that Boston Marathon Salad Bowl…and oh…Boston Marathon keychain….etc.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give the Boston Marathon and do you recommend that others run it?

5 (of 5). It’s the grand daddy of them all with history and the only major that is a qualifier. You know when you get in at Boston, you are for a moment in a different echelon of runners for one day.

Looking for more intel on the Boston Marathon? Read all of our runners’ reviews on our Boston Marathon intel page!

In this race report, runner Dan recommends gear for the Boston Marathon so that you will be as comfortable as possible in case of rain!

Race: Boston Marathon (2018)

Runner: Dan S

Date: 4/16/2018

Location: Hopkinton, Massachusetts to Boston, Massachusetts

Results: 3:32:45

3 Bests – What aspects of the Boston Marathon did you like the most?

1. It’s Boston. 2018 was a rough year, but the energy associated with this hallowed event is still unique.
2. The spectators. There weren’t as many spectators as in other years, but those who braved the elements were great. The Wellesley Scream Tunnel still sets the bar – you could hear the Wellesley fans before you could see them, even with the wind and driving rain.
3. The volunteers. Thousands of people came out and gave their time in miserable weather so that we could run this event.

Not so much – What aspects of the Boston Marathon didn’t do it for you?

1. The weather. This year, persistent rain (heavy at times), wind (direct headwind at times), and cool temperatures (there was literally freezing rain bermed up against the walls of the Athlete’s Village tent in Hopkinton) made for a particularly unpleasant 26.2 miles. The weather was so bad that there weren’t event helicopters or the fighter jet flyover at the start.
2. The Hopkinton wait. Athletes get to Hopkinton a significant amount of time before the race start. We timed things to go on the latest of the buses for our start wave and still were in Hopkinton two hours before the start gun. In the 2018 weather, it was not a pleasant wait in Hopkinton.
3. The gear check wait. There was a long wait – in the miserable weather, wearing drenched clothes from the run – for runners to pick up their finish line drop bags. Runners’ numbers are associated with their qualifying times, and gear check backs are staged according to bib numbers. As such, many runners who finished in the same time range were trying to get their drop bags from the same bib number tables at the same time after the race.

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?

There wasn’t anything notably weird about this event.

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

This was not a particularly enjoyable marathon. I’m grateful that I did some weather preparation (more below), and finished the marathon without major event (e.g., no injuries, accidents), but that’s about it for highlights of my race (other than the spectators and volunteers).

Lessons Learned – Share your pro-tips on Boston Marathon gear to help the next runner or yourself on the next time around

Being a Seattlelite, I am not entirely unfamiliar with running in the cool and rain. Even so, there were some things that I learned (from articles I read leading up to the race, as the miserable weather forecast was more and more likely to be a reality, and one random thing I tried from a previous race) that I think really helped during the race:

1. Hand warmers on the head. I put two hand warmers directly on my head (held in place with a wool skull cap, beneath a running hat). Since I don’t have hair, a lot of thermal loss occurs through my head. I surmise that having heat coming into my head (from the hand warmers), rather than just leaving my head, helped stave off hypothermia.
2. A shower cap. I put a shower cap on top of my running hat. The shower cap kept the hat (comparatively) dry, even with the rain, which kept my head drier and kept my head hand-warmers dry (the hand warmers I had are worthless when wet). Again, managing heat loss through my hairless head likely helped stave off hypothermia.
3. Throwaway shoes. As noted above, runners spend a fair amount of time in the Athlete’s Village in Hopkinton prior to the start. This year, the field where runners wait for the start was a soggy, often muddy, mess. I wore shoes that I was willing to leave in Hopkinton to the Athlete’s Village, and carried my running shoes with me (in plastic bags). This maneuver allowed me to change out of the muddy, sodden, shoes and socks that I wore around the village and into my running shoes (which obviously got wet themselves, during the run – but at least they were not muddy) when I went from the grass-mud field in the Athlete’s Village to the start corrals.
4. Garbage bag poncho. I fashioned a poncho out of a garbage bag that I wore to the start area. It was originally my intent to discard this poncho once I was up and going in the run. I didn’t end up removing the poncho until after mile 25. The poncho kept my core from getting as wet as it would have been without the poncho, but was funky enough (and didn’t cover my arms) that it was comparatively breathable.

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the Boston Marathon

I’ve been told not to get carried away on the downs during the first half of the race, come out too fast, and end up suffering more than necessary on the ups later in the course.

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

This event is definitely organized and well run. While there are some curious organizational aspects of the race (long wait in Hopkinton, wait for drop bags at the end), Boston is the model of a well-organized marathon.

Logistics – Anything special regarding getting to/from the race, hotels around the course, registration…?

Nothing of note to share here. It’s a big deal event, and Boston is busy and expensive during race weekend. I can recommend taking the shuttles to the start (even though I’ve criticized their early arrival times).

Weather and typical race conditions

In 2017, it was sunny and in the 70s. In 2018, not. It’s a spring marathon in the northeastern United States. It may be nice, it may be miserable.

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

There are spectator opportunities along essentially the entire course.

How’s the swag?

Standard big city marathon handouts. A shirt, a finisher’s medal, and promotional items from sponsors.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give the Boston Marathon and do you recommend that others run it?

As noted above, the weather was awful in 2018, and the race itself was not particularly enjoyable. That said, the whole Boston experience is one to take part in, if the opportunity presents. I can highly recommend the event, even when the weather is terrible.

Looking for more intel on the Boston Marathon? Read all of our runners’ reviews on our Boston Marathon intel page!

In this Boston Marathon report, cofounder Matt shares his experience running the 2016 event, including why it is so easy to start too fast.

Race: Boston Marathon 

Runner: Matt U

Date: 4/18/2016

Location: Boston, MA

Results – 265th place, 2:45.13

3 Bests – what aspects of the Boston Marathon did you like the most?

• The energy. So much excitement and energy on the course, from the runners, the volunteers, and the spectators. It is a true running spectacle.
• Well organized. Everything was smooth and easy, except my actual race!
• The course is not a difficult course and it’s possible to run fast on it (I didn’t do that, but it’s possible!)

Not so much – What aspects of the Boston Marathon didn’t do it for you?

• Weather wasn’t awesome. With a point to point course, if the wind is wrong, it’s wrong the entire time. The headwind wasn’t horrible, but it was there the entire way. It was also in the 70s which made for more challenging racing conditions. These things aren’t under anyone’s control but for this year in particular, this was the only downside.

Weird factor – what’s the weirdest thing about the Boston Marathon?

• Not sure if it’s weird, but with all the security present, and the recent history of the bombing at this race, I did find myself thinking about safety out there. I wasn’t inhibited or worried for any particular reason, but it was a unique experience. As I was suffering in the latter stages of the race, I thought about only making it through safely and that my family made it through safely – thoughts get a little wonky when suffering like I was, and this kind of thinking is not my norm, but in this case, I actually had thoughts about safety which is a new one for me.

Highlights of your race – what did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular

• I still finished decently despite making poor race decisions early and having to hang on. First, I went out too fast. I had a target heart rate range I wanted to be in and within the first three minutes I was much higher than the target. Even though I tried to get it back in check, that was only for a brief moment. I eventually stopped checking heart rate, thinking that the day was special and that I didn’t need to worry about it. It came back to bite me shortly after the halfway point. I was able to keep a decent pace until hitting the hills after 17. The hills with dying legs were a killer and my pace slowed substantially. I was able to keep running and keep a respectable pace though. It was one of my first marathons in a long time where I was merely thinking about ending the misery. I was hanging on for dear life and am simply glad to have finished without having to have suffered longer!
• Dave was able to get us a place to stay near the start line prior to the race with a charity group. They had an entire house with food and drinks so we could wait inside for the 2+ hours prior to the start. I’ve stayed in the athlete village before and it’s not bad, but this time around, it was nice to be able to chill out in a house, with multiple bathrooms.

Lessons for others – share your pro-tips on the Boston Marathon to help the next runner

• As best you can, don’t get too caught up in the hype early and stick to your race plan. Everyone always says not to go out too fast. It’s so easy to go out too fast! I’ve done it twice now!

Aesthetics – is the Boston Marathon a pretty course?

• It’s not pretty as mountains or oceans can be pretty, but for a city marathon, the scenery was good. More suburban early, finishing with the big city. People lined nearly the entire course so if they’re part of the aesthetics, than it’s one of the prettiest races out there.

Difficulty – is the Boston Marathon a tough course?

• Depends. If you’re a flat-lander, this is a tough course. If you’re dying in the second half, it’s a tough course. If you’re moderately used to hills and you’re racing smartly, the course isn’t that tough.

Organized and well run – did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

• One of the best organized races out there.

Competition – is there a strong field?

• It’s in the World Marathon Majors series. It brings out the best. Plus, you have to qualify for this race which shifts the entire bell curve to the faster side of things.

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

• You have to qualify (or do a charity fundraiser). Registration is in mid-September and it goes in order based on qualifying times. You have to be on it to get a spot and you have to get the qualifying time before that! It’s a straightforward process, but it requires fast running and timely registering.

Review the Boston Marathon Aid Stations

• Tons of them. They were nearly every mile and there were cups on both sides of the road. There was enough to get multiple cups. This was particularly helpful in this year’s race as I could take cups and dump cold water over my head and body.

Weather and typical race conditions 

• Spring in Boston. Could be cold, could be hot. There could be a headwind or a tailwind. It could be perfect or storming. Be ready for anything.

Gear – did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next guy?

• If it’s cold, having gear that you can ditch at the start is important, and there are no drop bags. There is a lot of waiting around before the start of the race and if you’re not prepared, it could be a tough start if you’re shivering and cold.

Spectators – is this a friendly course for your friends?

• Julie had Paavo with her so they weren’t trying to get around. My guess is that spectators could reasonably get to 3 or 4 spots along the course depending on how they were getting around. Julie was able to be at the halfway point and then at the finish, using the T to get downtown.

How are the awards?

• Big $ if you’re a big shot. For the rest, there is a finisher’s medal.

The Overall Score – how many stars do you give the Boston Marathon and do you recommend that others run it?

• Run this race if you have the opportunity. It’s a unique life experience and being part of such a big, historic event feels special. I encourage everyone to try it once if they can get in.

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