Whats so special about the Boston Marathon anyway? The Prelim.
Written: Jul 17 '01
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Pros: They make you feel very special!
Cons: Athletes Village...whats that all about anyway?
The Bottom Line: If you want to be king for a day, run the Boston Marathon.
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| Mattog's Full Review: Boston Marathon |
I'M BREAKING THIS REVIEW INTO TWO SINCE THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO THE BOSTON MARATHON THAN THE RACE ITSELF. THIS REVIEW IS ABOUT THE RACE HISTORY, THE BUILD-UP AND WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL.
I've been running marathons for a number of years now and people always ask, "Have you run Boston?" "No" I always said, and "Just what the heck is so special about Boston anyway? Its just a race after all!"
Last year I finally gave in and decided to give Boston a shot. I had the necessary qualifying time so I sent off my entry form and started getting in race shape.
I don't normally like Spring marathons because it means you have to train all winter in the dark and the cold. Even here in the temperate bay Area its tough and I don't know how you folks in the mid-west and back east do it.
April rolled around and I was ready to go. I had my hotel booked, my flights arranged and some friends lined up to go partying with afterwards.
I have always been aware of the history of this race and the special place it holds in the sport. Names such as Johnny Kelly, Clarence De Mar, Alberto Salazar, Bill Rogers, Joan Benoit Samuelson and Uta Pippig are synonymous with Boston and no other race is as proud of its heritage as this one. Still, I wasn't getting into the whole "Boston Buzz" thing that my friends who had run it before had assured me would come.
My plane landed on time and I go to the carousel to pick up my bags. It was there that I realized that all the bags were sports bags and everyone in the baggage area was a runner...pretty cool. People were eyeing up the competition at the flippin airport! never seen that before.
Off I go to get on the T, Bostons rail network. As soon as the ticket taker saw my bags she asked if I was a runner. I said I was. She said "you ride for free this weekend, welcome to Boston." Thats when the "Boston Buzz" first hit me....this was a public transit ticket taker!!!! being nice!!! Wouldn't see that happening in San Francisco.
These people just love the Boston marathon and are soooo proud of it and so knowledgeable about running. No other city anywhere in the world embraces their marathon quite like the people of Boston. On my ride into town everyone on the train wanted to talk.
"Where are you from?" "First time running Boston?" "Watch out for those hills at mile 19, there's 4 of them you know, not just one." It was great!
Sunday morning I took the T, again for free, to a bus pick-up area for transport to the Expo. (the expo location was moved this year to South Boston because of a scheduling conflict) It was early and only a few people were milling about. Soon a bus pulled up and we got on. Before we had even moved, 2 motorcycle cops appeared and escorted us through the traffic, red lights and all. They really know how to make you feel special.
The expo is big and well organized as it should be for a marathon of this stature. Lots of good freebies, and running celebrities milling about. I had brief chats with Grete Waitz, Dick Beardsley, and Bill Rogers.
My hotel was near Fenway Park and the Red Sox just happened to be hosting the Yankees that weekend which definitely added to the atmosphere in town. The concierge managed to score me a ticket for the Sunday afternoon game which was sure to be special. Pedro Martinez Vs. Roger Clemens in Fenway. Note to self...its not a good idea to carbo-load on beer and hot dogs....pretzels are OK.
Monday morning and its up early for some bagels and the Patriots Day ride out to Hopkinton. A fleet of buses takes the runners from Boston Common the 27 miles out to the start line in rural Massachusetts...the Boston Marathon unlike New York or Chicago is not an urban marathon and is run mostly in the countryside and suburbs.
The bus ride was long and painful as lots of overly hydrated runners screamed for the bathroom. After what seemed like an eternity we reached the athletes village and everyone stampeded off to find the nearest tree.
My only complaint about Boston is the whole athlete's village tradition. Boston is unusual in that it is always run on a Monday and that it always starts at noon as opposed to early in the morning. The bus gets you to Hopkinton at about 8:00am which means a very long wait in a field with nothing to do but burn nervous energy. I'd much rather have been in my hotel room.
At about 11:30 the runners are herded towards the starting corrals which are about a mile away. This walk is a good way to warm up and stretch out. On the way you can drop off your gear bag in one of the marked school buses. Once in the corrals you are pretty squished; in fact you will probably see some guys relieving themselves in bottles or just on the ground inside these pens.
The national anthem is sung, the Blue Angels buzz the runners, the hair on the back of your neck stands straight up, the gun fires, and the odyssey begins!
(stay tuned for review II, the race)
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 75
Event Organization: Always runs like clockwork
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Epinions.com ID:
Mattog
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Member: Matt R.
Location: San Francisco, CA
Reviews written: 72
Trusted by: 37 members
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