+++review #2100+++
i'd give this race 10 stars if i could!
the boston marathon, the cream of the crop, the "unicorn" that every serious distance runner dreams of and chases for years, sometimes a lifetime. i consider it an honor and privilege to have been able to participate in the 123rd running of the oldest marathon in the world on april 15, 2019, which was also my first world marathon major.
the expo took place the fri, sat & sun preceding "marathon monday" and it was hands-down the best race expo i'd ever attended! security was tight, not surprisingly, ever since the terrorist attack in 2013, but it moved pretty quickly for me on fri since i went early on in the day. i picked up my bib & tshirt, took a few photos, then proceeded to spend about 4 hrs walking thru the actual expo area, shopping for boston marathon 2019 memorabilia, strolling thru the vendor section, trying new products, sampling some food and drinks from race sponsors. i walked away with a slightly full tummy (skipped lunch since i wasn't expecting to be at the expo for so long!) and a much thinner wallet!
unfortunately, i had been injured on and off during my training (15 weeks leading up to race day), so i didn't try to go for a personal best, instead, i just tried to take it all in and enjoy being at this grand race. i tried to think of it as a long, scenic run, in a new place, with 30,000 new friends.
race-day weather was less than ideal, high 60s-low 70s and humid, with scattered rain (pre-race), and heavier showers (last hour of the race, for me), but i just took it easy, and grabbed water at every single aid station so that i wouldn't be dehydrated. the volunteers did a fabulous job with the aid stations and i appreciate the race organizers adding extra stations when the forecast called for warmer than usual conditions.
the long bus ride from boston common to hopkinton allowed me time to rest and nap since i didn't sleep that well the night before (to be expected for a big race). i wasn't quite expecting to walk ~1.5mi after unboarding the bus until i reached the start line, but that's what my watch told me (in between using the porta-potties and wading thru the crowd to reach the start).
i had studied the course well and knew that the first 16 miles were net downhill, feeling "relatively easy" which is good considering most of these miles were in the rural areas of boston, with less fan support. mile 13, the halfway point, marked the "wellesley scream tunnel" with a crowd of girls screaming, cheering and giving kisses to the runners. i knew there'd be 4 challenging sections from miles 16-21, called the "newton hills," but i just took them one at a time, until i finished heartbreak hill, which really wasn't that bad...i didn't even know i ran heartbreak until i saw the signs saying that i'd passed it! shortly thereafter, i saw my husband on the side, so i ran over to kiss him which gave me a boost for the final 5 miles of the race.
speaking of which, this is when the rains came and i was definitely tired, sore, and questioning whether i'd have to stop and walk, but i told myself, one more minute, one more mile, and i let the crowd, volunteers, and other supporters lift my spirits to keep pressing on, as the wind increased and rain fell heavier. as i made the final 2 turns on the course, with less then 1/2 mile to go, i ran as hard as i could, sprinting thru the finish, and crying tears of joy when i finally finished. it was certainly a magical moment in my running career.
post-finish line volunteers handed us space blankets, water, bananas, and a small bag of refreshments. i loved that the bananas were already partially peeled back for us, and they had stickers to hold the space blankets in place.
despite the rainy, gloomy weather at the end, the atmosphere was simply amazing, and i can now say that i'm a boston marathon finisher. it really is everything runners say it is, and more. if you are able to qualify and race in this event, do it, since it might be a once in a lifetime opportunity, one that you will remember for the rest of your life.