Shlomo’s
2015 Boston Marathon Experience
·
Pre-Race and Expo
o
Ease
of access to expo and layout –
Packet
pick-up and the pre-marathon expo took place in the convention center on
Boylston St. There was a large security presence in and around downtown Boston as
expected. Getting to the bib and packet pick-up was fairly easy and without any
hiccups. Signage was great, and there were no lines which was even better.
o
Knowledge
of staff, vendors, and volunteers –
It was very clear that
each volunteer and/or staff member knew their job requirements. There were
plenty of information desks throughout the building, with knowledgeable volunteers.
o
Overall
experience of the expo –
Other than it being very
crowded in the main hall, I really enjoyed my time at the expo. The layout was
nice and the vendors were very courteous and knew the products and/or services
that they were providing. It was amazing to see many familiar faces too. 4 stars
·
Starting line/Race start
o
Ease
of access to start line, signage, and coral seeding –
This
one’s interesting. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Boston
Marathon here I go. To get to the start line you can do one of two things,
drive to Hopkinton MA, 26 miles west of Boston and try to find your way to the
start. Or you can do what 99% of all other participants do that is, take a bus
from Boston Commons in the early morning hours and get to the start line that
way.
Once you get to
Hopkinton, there is what they call “Athletes Village” a common area where all
participants hang out till a designated time in the morning. They have all the
necessary items a runner may need before a race, from coffee to GU’s and
everything in between. Since the race starts at Ten in the morning there is
plenty of waiting around. Don’t think you will “show up” and run, bring warm
throw-away cloths with you. Don’t do what I did, and only bring only one
extra-long sleeve shirt. It can be cold, like this this year. I was freezing
and it wasn’t fun.
After about an hour of
waiting around we started moving…. That is to the starting corrals a half mile
down the road.
o
Opening
ceremonies –
Once in the corrals, the
organizers made it a point to get us moving as soon as possible. A quick few
announcements, and the National Anthem and we were off! Mile 1 of the 2015
Boston Marathon.
o
Overall
experience of the race start –
Organized, quick,
orderly, and nothing better than a small town feel for a world marathon major. 4 stars
·
Race course
o
Road
surface conditions, mile markers, aid stations, and law enforcement –
With
some early morning rain on race day, the road conditions were pretty slick
(remember to stay off the paint). Timers and mile markers lined the course from
the start line to the finish in Boston. They placed a timer and a mile marker
on both sides of the street, there was no doubt as to where you were along the
course. Starting from mile two, they placed an aid station on both sides of the
road with Gatorade first, water second and amazing volunteers. I also saw signs
for medical, and port-a-johns every few miles as well.
The law-enforcement was
second to none. I have never seen so many officers like what I saw on race
day.
o
Neighborhoods
and crowd support throughout course –
In the first few miles as
you are going through the different towns along the race course it’s fairly
quiet with the exception of the volunteers at the aid stations. However, once
we got to the 4th mile in the wind, rain, and cold the crowds got
larger and louder along the course. As many as ten people deep in certain
areas. The loudest spots along the course are in Wellesley (Mile 16/17), and
from mile 20 to the finish. There was an expected 1 million spectators along
the course, despite the not so great weather.
o
Overall
experience of the race course –
Fast, quick, loud,
supportive, and friendly runner comradery are just a few ways to describe what
you will experience when you run in the Boston Marathon. 5 stars
·
Post-race/Finish line festival
o
Finishers
medal and awards ceremony –
All I can say is the following. 2015 was the
119th running of The Boston Marathon, and it’s the only race in the
United States that you have had to run a previous marathon - and meet a
qualifying time. With that being said, the actual medal itself is pretty
simple, but with the extensive history of the event; the medal is only
secondary. I didn’t stay around for the awards ceremony, due to the wind, cold,
and the fact that I needed to drive back to Washington DC.
o
Ease
of access to post-race refreshments –
The post-race
refreshments were like any other “big city” marathon. Water, Gatorade, bananas,
and a gift bag from sponsors of the event. I really liked the idea of the
tables being placed down the middle of the road, and the volunteers handing out
the refreshments. It made it very easy to get your stuff and head out.
o
Overall
experience of the finish line –
Due to the wind, rain,
and cold temps. I decided to get back to where I was staying as fast as
possible, so I can warm-up and put on some dry clothes. 4 stars
·
In summary
The 119th running of the Boston Marathon was a success. With a
NEW Personal Record of 2:55:04 and being injury-free, I couldn’t be any
happier!
I am looking forward to running the Boston Marathon in the near future.
Maybe for the 125th year. Who knows…..
Star Ratings
*= Very
Dissatisfied
**= Somewhat
Dissatisfied
***= Neutral
****= Enjoyed
*****= Amazing
