Boston XV - A Fountain of Inspiration At The 2019 Boston Marathon

There are few races that fuel the soul of a runner as deeply and consistently as the Boston Marathon. The rich history, great performances, wild card weather, and unstoppable energy permeating from first time runners and ever-cheerful volunteers/spectators always draws out our best. This cauldron of inspiration cannot be explained, nor contained, only experienced and permanently absorbed. It has now pulled me back for fifteen consecutive editions, and the 2019 race (my "Boston XV") once again exceeded all expectations. The perfect closure to my American chapter before we begin our European life adventure. 

(Picking up the race bib - Corral #1 this year!)

I had a loaded Patriot's Day weekend ahead of me as I stepped off the plane on the Saturday before the race. First, a chance to meet some soon-to-be colleagues at adidas, where I will be employed when we move to Austria in late May. Then to the 5th birthday party of Like The Wind magazine, the most original and artistic voice in the running world today, to meet founders Simon and Julie Freeman and their cadre of collaborators and see some running-inspired art. I only had enough time at the Expo to get my bib (#574!) and watch Tiger Woods make his extraordinary comeback at The Masters at one of the Expo booths. So many great vibes of courage and redemption, it was easy to shrug off the forecast of crazy thunderstorms rolling in for race day. With all this inspiration, how could we be stopped?!?

(Runners watching Tiger's historic 5th Masters)

(Meeting Simon Freeman, co-founder of Like The Wind magazine, in person)

(Runners listen to guest speakers at the Like The Wind birthday party)

(Slothie, my stuffy travel buddy who always finds his way into my suitcase,
is far more interested in the Game Of Thrones Season 8 Premiere)

Race morning found us boarding the buses in torrential rain and flashes of lightning, but with an expected forecast of clear skies within hours. Would we make it?!? It would be close, so we all dressed for every possible outcome. For those of us who were here last year, the 60+ degree temperature was already a huge improvement over the hypothermia insanity of 2018. 

The bus ride to the start was, once again, a great way to meet runners from all over the world and hear their stories. Ismael from Egypt started running after rehab from hip surgery and now found himself at his first Boston just two years later. Becky from Minnesota was on her second Boston, looking for some redemption after a sufferfest last year. Fred from Florida was running his way to spiritual and physical health post-divorce, back at Boston after a 10-year hiatus. Matt from Ohio took the new Boston standards as a challenge to shave five minutes off his PR, but had trained so hard he had his sights on a solid 25 minute improvement (which he would get!). Each story of triumph and courage more powerful than the next...I could listen to them all day. 

By the time I found Corral #1, it was obvious I had massively overdressed. The rain had stopped, the temps settling in the mid-70's, and Hopkinton was hot and humid...the siamese twins of exercise-induced heatstroke. I made the decision early to run at cruising speed, and just enjoy the ride. At 10:02am, we were off! 

(Overdressed in a motorcycle rain suit and muck boots...can't be too careful after '18!)

(Nice and warm in Corral #1)

(My buddy, Bob Weinhold, finds me on the NBC TV coverage...taking pictures, natch!)

(And we're off!)

It was a tad warm for us non-acclimated runners, but perfect weather for cheering and spectating. No surprise, Boston was out en force at every stop! I gave high fives to the kids of Ashland, recognizing a few of them as the toddlers who held out orange slices in these very same spots years ago. Santa was there in Natick, per usual, and we got our 14th consecutive selfie! I was sure to put in a good word for my girls, and let him know of our new Austrian address. ;-)

(Santa is looking good!)

The women of Wellesley were in full force (mile 12), and their siren song pulled us in like a tractor beam. I leaned in to exchange a smooch, and then saw something I couldn't believe - a sign with my name on it! "All Day Long I Dream Of Scott Dunlap"...that's it folks, I have officially jumped the shark. I suspect fellow athlete and Boston runner Shannon Hogan and her clan were behind it. Such a unique thrill, thank you! ;-)

(Love you, Wellesley!)

(DUDE...NO...WAY!)

I crossed the halfway in 1:26:54, comfortably on a sub-3 pace despite all the photo shenanigans. As I settled into a rhythm for the hills of Natick (mile 15), I stared down at the three stripes in the center of the road that lead us to the finish....those three stripes will certainly be leading me beyond Boylston this time!

I got my annual beer at the bottom of Heartbreak Hill (mile 20), and weaved through the carnage of walking runners in the final six miles. The sun had come out now, and those few extra degrees seemed to be enough to bring dozens of runners to a crawl. I opted for lots of water on the head, knowing the adidas Ultraboost 19 shoes and Injinji toe socks would drain well and keep my feet from getting thrashed. The heat wasn't stopping three runners in the M60-64 age group that were all within 100 yards around me, tactically eyeing each other for the first move...it was going to be a sprint finish! We made the historic left onto Boylston and the M60+ warriors all dropped the hammer, leaving me in their wake. Now THAT'S how you finish Boston!

(Past the new memorial)

(Home stretch down Boylston St)

(The finish!)

(The awesome volunteers set me up with medal #15...so glad they had a sunny day for once!)

(My volunteer masseuse gets my calves back in shape...still the best kept secret at the finish line)

I crossed the finish line in 2:56:48 for 1953rd place, all smiles, and plenty of fist bumps all around. The streets were filled with the roar of 100,000+ spectators, cheering runners in by the hundreds now. What a fantastic day!

I soon found myself sharing fish and chips and beers with finishers and family, watching how the professional races unfolded. Lawrence Cherono and 2-time champion Lelisa Desisa ended up sprinting the final stretch, before Cherono edged Desisa out by only a few seconds (2:08), and Kenneth Kipkemoi a few seconds later. The closest podium in history! Americans Scott Fauble and Jared Ward both had epic races, hitting the 2:09 standard and placing 7th and 8th, respectively. Wow! Worknesh Degafa had won the Women's race (2:23), with Jordan Hasay making the podium in 3rd (2:25), and Desi Linden in 5th (2:27). Once again, very impressive efforts all around.

(Lawrence Cherono edges out Lelisa Desisa in the final yards of the closest finish in Boston Marathon history, epically captured by Neil Powell)

As I numbed up my legs with one last celebratory cocktail, I found myself screaming at my phone to cheer my friend Chris Devine slogging his way through an injured 5-hour marathon to get his first Boston medal. Winners, finishers, comebacks...it's pretty amazing what we can accomplish when we set our minds to it. Thank you, Boston, for giving us the grandest of stages! My next life adventure is a big one, but my confidence is now #BostonStrong. 

(The XV Beacon hotel is happy to help me ring in my 15th finish)

(One more in the books...wunderbar!)

Bigger and Faster Field for Boston Marathon Results In Faster Qualifying Times for 2020

Since 2013, qualifying for the historic Boston Marathon has involved two steps.

First, you need to run a Boston-qualifying time ("BQ") based on your age and sex. The BQ standard is no joke - only 10.4% of runners ever clock a BQ time. It's one of the reasons that "getting to Boston" finds its way onto the bucket list for most serious runners at some point in their running career.

Second, you need to register for the race and hope the qualifying time that you ran beat the standard by enough that when they cut off the entries at ~24,000 runners, you have made it in. In 2014, you had to run one minute, 38 seconds faster than your BQ to be accepted into the race. In 2015, it was 1:02 faster. In 2016, it became 2:28, and suddenly the "squeakers" (those who just barely made the cut off) knew a new game was afoot. In 2017, it was 2:09. In 2018, it climbed to 3:23.

For 2019, it was 4:52.

This resulted in the largest number of applicants ever not making the cut off (7,384 of 30,458 total applicants), and an announcement from the B.A.A. that all qualifying standards would be raised by five minutes for all age groups for 2020 and beyond. For men age 18-34 (the fastest required qualifying time), it is now 3 hours flat. Hello, #breaking3 hashtag!

So how did this happen? Are runners getting faster? Well, it likely has more to do with the fact that the pool of applicants is getting bigger. Both last year and this year saw a 7% increase in applicants, well ahead of the typical 4% growth rate the race has seen historically. Qualifying times of new entrants are not noticeably faster, but by the nature of those times being evenly distributed, it is raising the overall cut off time.

Personally, I am excited to see the new BQ standards. Whether it is because more runners are getting serious, or we just have more runners in general, there is a growing global pool of people embracing their inner athlete and a committed healthy lifestyle. That's powerful. That is worthy of applause. My hat is off to all of you!

But I also understand for a lot of "squeakers", or those who have been eagerly pursuing a BQ for years, needing to find another five minutes is NOT what you wanted to hear right now (#finding5, anyone?). My hat is off to you as well. You are equally committed to a healthy lifestyle, you are equally as impressive, and there is no doubt you are doing the hard work. Less than 5% of adults exercise daily, and less than 0.5% of adults will ever run a marathon, so find solace in the fact that you are easily in the top 1% of your species. Don't let an arbitrary standard based on a constrained size of allowed runners on the streets of Boston cast a shadow on your devotion to your craft.

We all have our stretch goals. Perhaps the news from the B.A.A. will make you stretch a bit farther. If you're pissed off, that's great! Recognize the anger for the gift that it is - undirected passion. Then channel that passion proactively - get a coach, make a plan, share your goals with your friends and family and invite them to help, and then enjoy the journey, whether it is Boston or not. If you do that, you are SO winning. And it will feel that way, I promise!

Whatever your journey, I hope to see you on the road, on the trails, or anywhere outside when you are smiling with friends while covered in dirt, sweat, and blood. You know that's where I will be! And if you did make it to Boston for 2019, congratulations! I'll see you there. ;-)

Cheers, Scott

Registration for the 2019 Boston Marathon Begins On Sept 10th

Planning to be at the 123rd Boston Marathon on Monday, April 15th, 2019?

Registration begins in a few days on Monday, September 10th. Mark your calendars!

The race will once again follow a rolling registration, based on a qualifying time run since September 17, 2017:

• Monday, September 10 - Qualifiers who have met the qualifying standard by 20 minutes, 00 seconds or more. 
• Wednesday, September 12 - Qualifiers who have met the qualifying standard by 10 minutes, 00 seconds or more (if space remains). 
• Friday, September 14 - Qualifiers who have met the qualifying standard by 5 minutes, 00 seconds or more (if space remains). 
• Saturday, September 15 - Registration closes at 10:00 p.m. ET. 
• Monday, September 17 - All qualifiers who have met the qualifying standard (if space remains) may submit an entry. 
• Wednesday, September 19 - Registration closes at 5:00 p.m. ET. 

If space remains after this initial period, then on Monday, September 24 registration will re-open to anyone who meets the qualifying standards on a first come, first served basis. Registration will remain open until the maximum field size is reached.

Historically, you have had to have been faster than your qualifying time by 1:02-3:23 to get a spot since rolling registration has been in place (gets tougher every year!). Let's hope you have a speedy qualifier under your belt for 2017/2018, maybe even fast enough for Corral #1!

I'll be there for sure (#16 for me). Let me know if you're coming to Hopkinton!

- Scott

The Wet and Wild 2018 Boston Marathon

Courage in the face of great odds.

Triumph over adversity.

When the prepared overcome the unexpected.

When we, the endurance warriors, toe the line at a race, this is the shared and unspoken dream we hope unfolds. We don’t train so it all goes easily; we train to be laughing at the top of our lungs when the shit hits the fan at Mach 2. If it doesn’t, we just sign up for a new race and go longer, higher, harder, and in more extreme conditions until it does. It is the perpetual pursuit of the real.

And when “the real” delivers? Ooohh man, that’s the good stuff. Ambrosia for the soul. Stripped to the core, ditching our self-imposed ego baggage along the way out of sheer survival, the finish line cleanses us in unexpected ways every time. We dig deep to get there, unearthing pockets of courage, persistence, and humility that powers us beyond our own high expectations, then cross that finish line forever changed. For days afterwards, every moment has a perfect beauty...a glow that hums from the bruises, chafe, and lactic acid-filled muscles that scream in harmony with every handrail-gripping step down the stairs. Those around us may question why we do this, but we know why. It is nothing short of glorious.

(Runners tackling the weather at the 2018 Boston Marathon, photo courtesy of The Boston Globe) 

The 2018 Boston Marathon delivered big time for all of us. In 14 consecutive Bostons, I have never seen anything like the nonstop weather calamity of this one. From this day forward, “I ran Boston in 2018” is instant legacy and permission to tell the tale of snow drifts and mud fields at the start, the relentless 20-30mph headwinds that kept the wind chill below freezing, and the endless sheets of rain that sent thousands to the medical tents along the course. A coach at the finish line summed it up perfectly for me - if you made it to Boston 2018, you are a hero. If you finished, YOU ARE A GOD.

(Yes, that's snow along the tent, and enough mud to soak every foot)

(Layer up!)

I arrived at the start layered up like I was trying to avoid an airline $25 luggage fee by wearing all of my clothes at once. Inov-8 shirt, vest, sleeves, gloves, cashmere hoodie (that the moths got to), peacoat (a gift two sizes two big), jeans, a homemade garbage bag hoodie that a homeless guy showed me how to make, extra shoes to toss at the start, and a big roll of contractor garbage bags to hand out (they lasted 15 minutes). My fellow warriors were similarly clad, with extensive use of grocery bag-wrapped feet, shower caps, and hazmat suits. The snow was piled up along the tents in the athlete village, and three inches of mud faced anyone trying to enter, yet there were plenty of smiles and cheers of encouragement once you got in. You don’t come to Boston and not run. You come to eat up everything it has to offer. It was good to have some playmates!

(Layered up and ready to roll!)

I was in Corral 2 this year (#1644…gotta work on that), but had no visions of PR’s today despite being fit. Pictures were also a no go, so the focus would be on “just don’t get hypothermia”. We all yelled out a cheer as the elites lined up at the start – once again, it was the best runners in the world, with a particularly deep field of Americans in the Women’s division (Shalane, Des, Huddle, etc.). I found comfort knowing they were right in front of us, all in for the big dance, come hell or high water (and a forecast for both).

As we sang the national anthem and did the final countdown, I stripped down, but couldn’t get myself to shed the warmth of the soaked cashmere hoodie cinched tight around my face. It may not be fashionable, and the sleeves were already hanging to my knees, but dang, it was comfy! So be it. My first Boston in a cinched cashmere hoodie with seal flipper sleeves. Let’s roll!

(And we're off! Photo courtesy of The Boston Globe)

It only took a mile before the waves of rain came like the apocalypse, but we got strength from cheering Bostonians who lined the streets in their duck shoes and umbrellas (and a few semi-naked just for fun). The speed of the clouds felt like time lapse thanks to the headwind, and you could see each black cluster of rain and sleet soar through the sky before pelting us with half frozen evil delight. There were some groans, but if it got too bad, you could count on yet another runner doing a Bill Murray Caddyshack impression saying “I don’t think the heavy stuff is going to come down for quite a while”. Yup, still funny!

(Fa, fa, fa, fashion! Photo courtesy of USA Today)

By the 10k mark (40:52), the temperature had dropped again (felt about 35 degrees), and I tucked in with a group of runners that were moving fast. The fog of their charging breath whipped past my head, and the puddle stomping made it feel like rain was coming in all directions. Intros were short, using first name and city/country for brevity, but I soon found “Jamie, Buffalo”, “Rolf, Switzerland”, “Michael, Indianapolis”, and “Rico, Sao Paulo” to be just the right pace. I felt warm enough to chuck the hoodie, just before getting a photo with Santa and having my GoPro die.

(The ever-enthusiastic women of Wellesley)

(...except for that hot shower!)

The women of Wellesley (mile 11) were sparse this year, but those who showed made up for it with soaking, screaming enthusiasm. I swapped wet sloppy kisses on the cheek with my favorite sign holder (“blue lip kisses rule!”), then pushed on through the halfway point (mile 13.1) in 1:24:22. Although I wasn’t paying attention to time, a quick pace was required to keep hypothermia at bay!

(Only the bravest would walk...photo courtesy of The Boston Globe)

The temperature picked up a well-needed five degrees once we hit the hills of Newton, but Mother Nature made up for it with a relentless wind that tossed us back and forth. The medical tents were all full of runners at this point (mile 16-20), and we were still in the first 1,500 runners! I would later learn that nearly 2,500 were treated for hypothermia symptoms. The critical error seemed to be slowing to a walk and not being able to warm back up, so I kept on my food and hydration and stuck to the quick pace.

By mile 23, my hands and feet were permanently numb, and my hearing started to go (this happens when I get super cold) so I grouped with a few more runners. “Daniel, Denver”, “Brian, Texas”, and I encouraged each other to the final stretch then went bananas for the finish line. Boylston gave us a welcome tailwind for about a half a mile, and I finished in 2:53:22 for 819th. A cold but controlled race, feeling good at the finish, so I was quite pleased with the result.

(Des Linden decisively captures the win)

(Yuki Kawauchi, the nicest elite there is, takes home the win)

It wasn’t until I jogged back to my Airbnb rental and jumped in a hot bathtub fully clothed that I learned that Yuki Kawauchi (2:15) had won, and Des Linden (2:39) had won the Women’s division (American women took 7 of the top 10 slots), both breaking 30+ year firsts. Des had her full jacket and mittens on at the finish, and had once again run a nearly perfect split in her sixth attempt. I was so stoked for her! In her post race interview, she recommends to everyone else to just “do the hard work, and keep showing up”. Yup, so true, and something all of the finishers today can relate to.  It was extra special that two of the most humble athletes in our sport came out on top in the most dramatic conditions.

(A little pub fare to get warmed up again)

(A finish worthy of celebration!)

I warmed up enough to hit the Boston pubs and relish my favorite part of the weekend, which is hearing the stories of triumph from all the other runners. The veterans among us assured the first timers that this was an epic year, and it couldn’t possibly get any worse. Or maybe, just maybe, it will! Either way, you have to come back. ;-) The tales poured out from Miami, Colorado Springs, Mexico City, Dublin, Tokyo, Auckland, Nashville, Milton (MA), all with camaraderie and a renewed sense of passion. We were all aglow.

My thanks to the great city of Boston, the race directors, and the hearty volunteers and cheering crews who stayed out there all day for us. You are the reason this is one of the greatest races in the world! Also a big thanks to inov-8 for keeping me fast, and Injinji for miraculously leaving my feet with no blisters after 26.2 miles in the rain,  I will see you again next April, if not sooner!

The Bar For The Boston Marathon (BQ) Gets Higher for 2018 - 3 Minutes and 23 Seconds

If you were hoping to get into the 2018 Boston Marathon this year, you had to beat your Boston Qualifier (BQ) time by 3 minutes and 23 seconds. Wowza! That's the biggest gap since the Boston Marathon established this new process five years ago, and the fifth year in a row you needed to run faster than your age-group standard BQ. Here's how it compares to previous years:

• For 2017, you had to better your BQ by 2 minutes and 9 seconds.
• For 2016, 2 minutes, 28 seconds.
• For 2015, 1 minute, 2 seconds.
• For 2014, 1 minute, 38 seconds.

And it appears Boston qualifying runners are getting even faster. Here's the breakdown compared to the fields in previous years:

• 4,691 Qualifiers met their qualifying time by 20 minutes, 00 seconds or faster. (+7.5%)
• 7,673 Qualifiers met their qualifying time by 10 minutes, 00 seconds or faster. (+7.9%)
• 7,505 Qualifiers met their qualifying time by 05 minutes, 00 seconds or faster. (+10.3%)
• 2,905 Qualifiers met their qualifying time by 3 minutes, 23 seconds or faster. (-35.4%)
• 424 Qualifiers were accepted based on finishing 10 or more consecutive Boston Marathons. (+2%)

That's a fast field! Congrats to all of you who got in. Hopefully you had a great year, and I'll be seeing you in Hopkinton on April 16, 2018. 

- SD

You've Qualified for the Boston Marathon - What Corral Will You Be In?

You've done the hard part and qualified for Boston...but what wave and corral will you be in? Thanks to folks like Greg Maclin at MyMarathonPace.com who study the numbers religiously, you can get a pretty good idea with his chart.

The times in each cell represent the maximum qualifying time for that corral, and race numbers reflect the corral (#100-1000 in Corral #1, #1001-2000 in Corral #2, etc.). So the slowest runner in Corral #1 last year ran a 2:46:36. That's pretty fast to get a sub-1,000 number, and getting faster each year!

It's fascinating to see how little time separates those in the second and third waves...a minute here or there could be the difference of 1,000 on your number.

For 2017, you'll likely get your official number in early March. Fingers crossed!

- Scott

The Magic Number for the 2017 Boston Marathon - 2 minutes, 9 seconds

You had to beat your Boston Qualifier (BQ) time by 2 minutes and 9 seconds to get into the 2017 Boston Marathon, according to the press release that came out today. That's just slightly more forgiving than the 2 minutes, 28 seconds required for the 2016 Boston Marathon, but still tougher than the 1 minute, 2 seconds or faster for the 2015 Boston Marathon, or 1 minute, 38 seconds for the 2014 Boston Marathon.

Here's the breakdown:

• 4,357 Qualifiers met their qualifying time by 20 minutes, 00 seconds or faster. 
• 7,105 Qualifiers met their qualifying time by 10 minutes, 00 seconds or faster. 
• 6,845 Qualifiers met their qualifying time by 05 minutes, 00 seconds or faster. 
• 4,497 Qualifiers met their qualifying time by 02 minutes, 09 seconds or faster. 
• 410 Qualifiers were accepted based on finishing 10 or more consecutive Boston Marathons.

Hopefully you were one of them! See ya there...

- SD

A Glorious Day At The 2016 Boston Marathon (Thank You Hamstring)

Streak running can make you do stupid things. Once you have mentally decided you are going to try to do a race X amount of times, you often find yourself making questionable choices along the way. Not quite “streaking” bad choices (that’s when you go naked), but bad choices nonetheless. This was going through my head as I was icing a sore hamstring on the way to the 120th Boston Marathon, which was to be my 12th in a row. Really, Scott? Icing a sore hamstring on the way to a marathon? That sounds like an “I told you so” moment with dismal outcomes just waiting to happen.

 My passion for Boston expertly defied logic at every turn. The weather prediction of sunny and 65 degrees only shoved more kindling for my dubious fire, and I was soon grasping for justification like a hungry monkey. I’ll just do a casual run….yeah, that’s it. A casual run. And I’ll wear a compression sleeve that will fix everything (conveniently forgetting my own advice not to add anything new on a race day). I’ll do it because it’s the 50th year since the first woman, Bobbi Gibbs, ran Boston, and they told her it was impossible. Girl power! By the time I swept through the energetic Expo with my good friend and first-time Boston runner John Heltzel, the passion flame was high. Logic didn’t stand a chance.

(It was all about honoring the women this year)

(John Heltzel, my friend of 40+ years, is ready to tackling his first Boston)

(Goofing off with Jorge Maryville and Ian Sharman

(Alex Varner and the SFRC crew in Corral #1)

So at 10am, I found my way to Corral #1 (bib #731!) and crossed my fingers. I was just in time to see Ian Sharman heading up the street (he was running the course backwards, then turning around and running the race, where he clocked a 2:49!). Jorge Maravilla and Alex Varner were also there among a cluster of San Francisco Running Company tank tops. We all reveled as the Elites were announced in front of us – 10 guys who have gone sub-2:06 including 2x winner and defending champion Lelisa Desisa (who just went 2:04:58 in Dubai), 2012 winner Wesley Korir, course record holder Geoffrey Mutai (2:03:02), and more…and the Women were already five miles ahead, led by 2012 Olympic gold medalist Tiki Gelana. Varner summed it up perfectly, saying “wow…it’s amazing to hear credentials like that…these guys are truly the worlds best”. And with the gun, we were off!

 I was going by feel, but was definitely the slow guy in the corral (or the one behind us for that matter). I kept the elbows in and let runners slither around me. My body felt good at a 6:40 min/mile pace, so I just stuck with it. The crowds were huge this year, much in thanks to the perfect weather. The bluegrass band at Ashland (mile 2) was rocking out, and we soon stopped our incessant passing and found a groove.

(The runners take over Hopkinton!)

By mile 6, my legs were loosening up and the 6:40 min/mile pace felt pretty good. I got my annual picture with Santa Claus, who recognized me and said “let’s get another picture! That’s quite a collection you are building”. He had the Red Sox jersey on today, which seemed fitting. It was right about this time we started passing the 2013 bomb victims who were racing this year, out in blade prosthetics and wheelchairs to reclaim the course. And here I was complaining about a hamstring? They got pats and atta-boys from everyone going by, and a few tears of courage as well. In fact, it almost felt like the Boston Marathon was back to normal.

(Santa!)

(Now that's what I call a hands on guide)

(The weather pushes past 65 degrees)

The Scream Tunnel (mile 12) could be heard a town away, and the runners lined up for high fives, kisses, or the other side of the street to stay clear of the madness. I got my smooch, and once again accidentally clocked a 6:00 min/mile. Such a boost of energy! My head swirled with memories of Boston’s past…Wellesley girls in ponchos on rainy days, my Dad’s spontaneous “I dated a Wellesley girl once” story when we did Boston together, and the ever awkward sight of an old Italian guy going down the line like a wedding procession and kissing every girl. Yet the Wellesley ladies keep smiling!

(Scream Tunnel!)

The Newton hills (mile 16-21) were the warmest spot on the course, and the 70+ degree weather was creating some casualties. Me and another runner tried to catch one dizzy guy, but couldn’t keep him from taking a header into the crowd. Yikes! Sorry about your picnic. I took it easy on the climbs, knowing my hamstring would prefer it, and it’s the best way to deal with the heat. The Boston Hash House Harriers were out in force, so I grabbed an ice cold cup of beer and joined them before cresting Heartbreak Hill.

(Sean Meissner siting)

(Getting a beer with the Harriers)

 A familiar headwind caught us in Brookline (mile 23), but it was nice to have a slightly cooler wind. I checked the times at the mats, and it appeared I was still doing 6:40 min/miles! The hamstring was holding up just fine. I passed a few hundred runners, but still managed to get passed by a guy in an elf costume and a blind runner with their guide. Always good to get an ego check.

(The finish!)

As we turned down Boylston, I reveled in the normalcy that had returned to this great race. 2016 already felt more like the Boston I knew than the strange chapter of the last three years. I cruised into the finish in 2:56:09 and my 12th Boston was in the books. Just as I was high-fifing, a guy stepped up to me and said "didn't you take a picture of my blister in 2013"? Sure enough, it was Liang Wu running even faster this year! How random is that?

(Liang Wu, circa 2013)

(Liang at the finish in 2016!)

It didn’t take long before I was at the Beantown Pub getting a burger and beers, sharing stories with friends both old and new, and learning about the epic stories of Boston, 2016. Lemi Berhanu Hayle (2:14:45) led an Ethiopian sweep with his win, and likely a spot on one of the most competitive Olympic teams in running. The Women's winner, Atsede Baysa (2:29:19), gave her trophy to Bobbi Gibbs, the first time Woman finisher. Wow, even more epic Boston stories! How could I not come back? I began strategizing immediately for #13.

My thanks to the Race Directors and world-class volunteers for another great Patriot’s Day weekend. And a big thanks to my hamstring for hanging in there! Congrats to all of you runners, in particular the first timers. Hope to see you again.