Boston … The pinnacle for marathoners

Ottawa Frontrunners at the OutGames 2006

If you're a marathoner and earn a qualifying time to run Boston, you have to do it!

Boston is the oldest and most fabled of all road races. It is also the most coveted marathon for runners interested in participating in the world's most popular races. New York and London have their charms, but Boston is considered “the” pinnacle in a runner's career. Held for the first time in 1897 over dirt roads and attended by a few brave souls, over the past 110 years the Boston Marathon has inspired millions of runners to push themselves to their physical limits.

Boston Marathon 2006, courtesy of Boston Frontrunners

The course is not an easy one! It begins inland in Hopkinton and winds its way down toward Boston through beautiful New England towns. On the route, the locals go all out to welcome the thousands of participants who gather from all over the world for the run.

Everyone has heard of Heartbreak Hill. Actually, it's a series of hills that begins around mile 17 and ends with Heartbreak at about mile 21. Getting past them is tough, mainly because the course is either downhill or flat until this point. By mile 21, or roughly 32 km, that's when any race starts to get tough. Add a hill or two into the mix and it can be a recipe for disaster.

Dave McConkey at the Boston marathon 2006, courtesy of Boston Frontrunners

I ran Boston in April of this year for the third time. Those hills are always very fresh in my mind. But this year I had a good day. It wasn't too hot, and I felt strong. I ran my best Boston time ever.

I've never had what I'd call a good day in Boston. My times have always been slow, despite being well trained. But who cares? It's all about the experience. Let the elites worry about time goals. I go for the fun.

In my defense, conditions are against the average runner. Most races begin early. In Boston, runners have to rise early, catch a bus to Hopkinton by 7 am or so, and then wait until noon for the race to begin. It drains a person's energy.

But it's worth the hassle! The mood of the runners is amazing. The spectators are enthusiastic. And as a participant, you never lose site of the historic course you're on and the stories of victory and heartbreak that have taken place on it including your own.

Turning the corner to run that last few hundred metres to the finish line is like nothing else a runner will ever experience. The noise of the crowds is deafening. They're cheering for you and for every runner who has made it because they have a healthy respect for the marathon distance. Their energy pushes you to the finish line.

I would do it again? Every Boston run brings a new experience. Every finishing medal is hard-earned. Every memory is a cherished one.

Boston marathon start, courtesy of Boston Frontrunners

Boston … The pinnacle for marathoners

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