Learning the Ropes at the Boston Marathon
by Don Allison
The Boston Marathon that Cosmos Ndeti runs is different from the one you and I run. After spending a leisurely morning in Boston, Cosmos and his fellow elite runners travel via luxury bus to Hopkinton. Whisked directly to the starting line, they do pre-race preparations at a church adjacent to the start. Race officials attend to their every need. Fronting the pack of thousands, the elites fly out of Hopkinton, arriving at their own personal aid stations, untouched and immaculately organized. At the finish, these lucky souls stroll back to their hotel for a shower and refreshments. Oh, if only the Boston Marathon was so easy for the rest of us! Rather, the marathon is as much an exercise in logistics and planning as it is a road race. Rare is the first time Boston marathoner who does not fall prey to one of the many obstacles on the road from Hopkinton to Boston. Sage veterans have learned many tricks of the trade that may not necessarily make for an easy trip to Boston, but significantly increase its likelihood. This article will attempt to identify potential problems and ways to prevent them from sabotaging your big day.
The running does not begin until noon on Patriot's Day Monday, but for participants, especially out-of-towners, the race really begins the preceding Friday evening. It's about that time that the excitement of the upcoming marathon raises the energy level of the entire city of Boston. Boston's Back Bay begins to swell with runners. The Sports and Fitness expo on Saturday and Sunday is something akin to a marathoner's Woodstock. Carbo loading dinners, parties, and late night strategy sessions abound. While friends and family no doubt enjoy the festivities, rule number one for runners is this: conserve energy. It is unlikely that at mile twenty you are going to care whether you attended that one last clinic or made one more round at the expo.
Social animals that runners are, it is incumbent on us to partake in some of this excitement, of course. A little goes a long way in this department, however. Time close to the actual race is better spent with your feet up at home or in your hotel room. Your legs will thank you on Monday. Unless you live on Main Street in Hopkinton, (or know someone who does) actually getting to the start on race morning is going to require careful consideration. Official runners are given a bus pass in their race package. For out-of-towners staying in Boston, this is probably the most efficient means of race day travel. The last bus leaves at eight thirty a.m. from Back Bay however, leaving lots of unwanted Hopkinton time, an issue we will address shortly.
If you are one of the many Bay State runners, a better strategy is to team up with your fellow marathoners. Dave Camire of the Greater Lowell Road Runners is a proponent of the team bus. "We have had great success with our bus" he says. "We can control what time the bus leaves. It drops us right in Hopkinton, and it is fun to go to the race with people you have been training with all year." Clubs such as Greater Lowell and Boston's Back Bay Road Runners take this concept one step farther. These clubs take a room at a hotel nearby to the finish line. This gives the group a place to meet and a departure point. The major benefit is accrued after the race however, when a hot shower and change of clothes are within short walking distance of the finish line. Contact one of these outfits or USATF New England if you would like to be part of a team effort.
No amount of road racing experience will prepare a first time Boston marathoner for what awaits in Hopkinton on Patriot's Day. A quaint, sleepy New England village 364 days a year, the third Monday in April turns the town into a chaotic maze of runners, spectators, street vendors, well wishers, and general hangers on. Hopkinton's golden rule: ignore all of these people. While they are capable of diverting your attention to the task at hand, there is virtually nothing these people can do to enhance your race. Will Mason from Chelmsford, MA is a veteran marathoner and a world class humorist. He advises first timers against bringing any money with them. Why? Because they will probably succumb to the pleasant aromas wafting from the town common, where vendors are selling what Mason aptly describes as "cholesterol specials." There is no surer way to undo months of hard training than partaking of one of these delicacies. Better to stick to your tried and true dietary regimen.
Once arriving at the race site, the goal of every marathoner should be to make necessary race preparations. A major variable is the weather. Most runners welcome cool overcast conditions, even a light rain. During the race, that is. In the hours waiting for the start, precipitation and/or cold can be at best inconvenient, at worst downright uncomfortable. No matter what the weather, bring more clothes than you think you will ever need. Here is a chance to clean out your closet of some of the old clothes you have been meaning to donate to goodwill. Even on a mild day, the extra protection and warmth will be helpful. Discarding unwanted garb has become a last minute pre-race ritual. On a rainy day, even bringing an old pair of throwaway shoes is helpful. There is nothing worse than starting the race with water logged shoes. We would be remiss without mentioning that wearing plastic trash bags has become somewhat of a fashion statement and status symbol, proving yet again how truly eccentric marathoners can be.
Hopkinton high school is approximately a half mile away from the start on Main street. In years gone by, the gym and adjacent hallways were packed with runners from early morning until the start of the race. This was replaced in 1996 by the "Athlete's Village. "If you are claustrophobic, allergic to analgesic ointment, or looking for peace and solitude, avoid the Village at all costs. If you are energized being around other runners, or need a haven from cold and/or rain, this can be a good place to hang out before the start. The hours do tend to slip away, so allow plenty of time to find your proper starting position. That means heading towards the start no later than 11:30. The baggage claim is also located in the high school parking lot, if you just cannot bear to give up those old clothes. Remember though, a half hour can be a long time to wait in just shorts and a singlet. Once lined up however, the body heat of ten thousand other marathoners can be enough to keep you warm.
Even novice marathoners are aware of the need to stay properly hydrated before the race. Another pre race tenet: Don't expect to find any water to drink in Hopkinton. Bring your own water bottle. The town is simply not equipped to handle the onslaught of humanity that is the Boston Marathon. One consequence is severely reduced water pressure town wide. Is there a more frustrating feeling than spotting a fountain only to watch the water dribble out? This pitfall can easily be avoided with proper planning.
This leads us to our next pre-race subject, not often mentioned, but of primary concern to all marathoners. That is finding and using rest room facilities. It is one of the first lessons learned by road race novices. While there are ample facilities in town, timing is everything. It is not wise to go to the starting line without completely attending to this detail. Men have more leeway here, but a familiar sight is that of marathoners detouring to the woods in the first quarter mile of the race. These precious minutes are difficult to earn back on the Newton hills and Beacon Street. Also, who can forget the sight of thousands of marathoners streaming out of buses stalled in traffic on the way to Hopkinton, sprinting into the woods, then back onto the buses again. It can be a long ride from Boston to Hopkinton!
Attentive readers by now have noticed we have not yet discussed the actual running of the marathon, which will be done presently. It cannot be stressed enough that a successful marathon is as much a result of race day planning as covering the 26.2 miles. Months of dedicated training will allow you to make it to the finish line, but there are many problems waiting on the course to ambush unsuspecting marathoners. The start of the Boston marathon is unlike that of any other road race. Squeezing close to ten thousand anxious runners on to a narrow country road is a complicated process. It can be difficult to find your proper starting place. This is the primary reason for allowing ample time to line up. There are pens roping off starting positions based on race number. While we all would like to begin the race unimpeded, it is just not possible for ninety-five percent of the field. Marathon administrators have a logical rationale for assigning race numbers in order of qualifying time. They are hoping for an orderly progression out of Hopkinton. It can only occur if you do your part. Rest assured there is enough real estate between the start and finish to make up the time it takes to clear the starting line. In addition, the Champion Chip will record your time from the actual start to the finish line. Keep your cool once the guns sounds. Attempting to sprint when the surrounding pack is moving at an eight minute pace is guaranteed to make you a most unpopular person indeed.
Coaches and trainers throughout the ages have preached the importance of proper pacing in the marathon. Running early on beyond your capabilities by even a small margin often leads to disastrous consequences miles down the road. This principle is even more applicable in Boston than other 26 milers, for two very concrete reasons. First is the high level of energy and excitement surrounding the Boston marathon. This is THE marathon. It is often the pinnacle of athletic achievement to have qualified and finally be participating in this historic event. Every cell in a runner's body is primed for the performance of a lifetime. Given this level of readiness, it is extremely difficult to hold back and run conservatively in the initial stages of the race, marshaling energy resources for the Newton Hills. That is precisely what is required to run the race correctly, however.
To further exacerbate the situation, the first sixteen miles contain significant downhill stretches. The rolling downward slopes make a faster than prudent pace feel comfortable. Most marathoner's upper quadriceps muscles are not prepared for the pounding that is inflicted by fast downhill running. Tight, sore, even locked up quads have felled many a marathoner. In 1982, Norway's Grete Waitz was on pace to break the women's world record, when this malady forced her to the sidelines at mile 23. Only twenty minutes of running separated her from marathon history, but she could not overcome the severe pain and dropped out. The "heartbreak hills" are not steep by most any runner's definition, but after miles of traveling downhill can take on the aura of Mount Everest. It should be mandatory for first time Boston participants to complete a training run from Wellesley to Hopkinton, traversing the first half of the marathon course backwards. The continuous uphill climbing would be a source of amazement to even seasoned marathoners.
Kevin Petrovek is a marathoner from Cape Cod that knows about proper pacing. He ran 20 consecutive sub three hour Bostons. He also knows of the guy who stands in front of Newton Wellesley Hospital each year (just before the seventeen mile mark) holding a sign projecting the finishing time based on a runner's current pace. "I call it Custer's last stand," says Petrovek. "You have about as much chance of finishing the marathon in that time as Custer had of winning the war in mid-battle." Another rule: Don't pay too much attention to time splits along the way. Or other runners, for that matter. It is rare to find someone running your exact pace. Speeding up or slowing down for someone else is a recipe for disaster, as is listening to finishing time projections from the sidelines.
Although the marathon distance is only 26 miles and 385 yards, most people run a longer distance than this on race day. These folks are not looking for extra credit, rather they are following a more circuitous route than race officials have determined to be the actual distance. Course measurers assume a runner will run the shortest possible distance between two points, in this case being the Hopkinton town green and the Boston Public Library. To run the shortest route, one would have to "cut the tangents," basic geometry that results in running directly across the street where the road curves. Needless to say, most runners in the pack are simply concerned with moving forward, paying little attention to the tangents. Running the short route necessitates paying attention to the road ahead and having enough available space to move across the road unimpeded. Route 135 through Ashland, Framingham, and Natick curves considerably, allowing an alert marathoner to save precious distance.
We mentioned earlier the need to stay properly hydrated before and during the marathon. The official water stations are ample and well staffed, providing both water and Gatorade, an energy replacement drink. Even on a cool day, drinking throughout the race is mandatory. Given the huge crush of runners at the start, it is critical to get in and out of the aid stations as quickly as possible. On a particularly warm day, coming to a complete stop makes it possible to take in more water than you can on the run. If you are planning to employ this strategy, move beyond the water station after securing your cup. Stop in the middle of the station and you may have considerable difficulty getting out. Also, you will create a logjam for runners behind. Unfortunately, this happens every year at the first few water stops.
Ask any marathoner what makes Boston special and more likely than not the reply will be enthusiastic spectators. Emotional support is invaluable to runners, especially late in the race when the physical resources are flagging. The apex of assistance comes at the halfway mark, where Wellesley College coeds annually scream their lungs out for each and every participant. Mason advises caution here however. "It's easy to get carried away in Wellesley. Increasing the pace dramatically can make it much tougher later on." Most runners wear a club or school uniform or some other form of identifying clothing. Know this: it had better be something you like to hear, since it will reverberate throughout your eardrums for 26 miles. If you are the kind of runner who wants the world to go away, (when struggling) anonymity may be a better bet.
Feeding off the crowd's energy has worked wonders for many a marathoner. When all appears lost, an encouraging word can turn a seemingly defeated, walking marathoner back into a confident running athlete. If spectators are a 26 mile emotional support group, family, friends, and loved ones are a marathoner's ace in the hole. That these folks are watching specifically for you provides the ultimate motivation to keep going. No one knows like those close to you how much time, effort, and dedication are necessary simply to be participating in the Boston marathon. It can be fun to have individual crowd support strategically placed along the marathon route. Be advised however that it is extremely difficult for non runners to move around the course while the race is in progress. Boston traffic is notorious on a good day; on marathon day even worse. A more effective strategy is to have those close to you at or near the finish line. When the going gets tough, there is no better inspiration than knowing someone is at the finish anxiously awaiting your arrival.
If you have trained well and run a properly paced marathon, the last four miles from Cleveland Circle to the finish on Boylston Street will be an exhilarating experience. Each runner you pass will provide confirmation that this is the race you have been dreaming about for months. If you are not quite as fortunate, the finish will be proof positive that you have the fortitude to dig deep into your physical and mental reserves to complete the Boston marathon. In either case, follow the rules of the road laid down by thousands of marathoners who have gone before. Some lessons are better left unlearned.
Postcript
After finishing the marathon, your first thoughts will be to stop moving. What a wonderful feeling it is to be finished and not have to run anymore! Be careful though, for several reasons. After running for several hours, it is best to keep moving forward, even at a slow walking pace. This will prevent our legs from completely locking up. It also keeps the finish line from being backed-up with finishers. The last two years have featured a cool ocean breeze, creating a headwind over the final miles. Combined with dehydration and a non-moving athlete, this cooling breeze can bring on hypothermia quickly. Last year hundreds of marathoners were forced to the medical area due to this combination of factors. Better to k keep moving through the finish if you can, to turn in your chip, collect your baggage, and receive your well deserved finishers medal and accolades from friends and family.
© Cool Sports 1997
'97 Boston Marathon