The Boston Marathon is coming up fast! I’ve received so many questions regarding the marathon (thanks for asking, I am flattered!) I thought it only right to share them here.
Are the Newton Hills really that big? It all depends what you did leading up to them. Did you hill train well? Did you hill train when you were tired? Because they start at mile 19 so I suspect you may be a tad tired…especially if you do what I did my first year in Boston and go out too fast. At best they’re a nuisance, at worst they’re killers. But they’re ‘ovah’ at about mile 23!
When’s the best time to hit the expo? As early as possible. Go the first day if you’re in town. The later you go, the more gridlock you’ll endure. It gets sardine-can crowded kids. Make sure you bring your ID so you can get your race packet.
Will my hotel have a special early breakfast for runners? Maybe. The first year mine did, last year my hotel didn’t have anything early enough. So find out and plan accordingly!
Can hanging out in Athlete’s Village all morning be avoided? Yes. Just don’t board the buses at the first possible chance (unless you’re a speedy first waver of course). Both years I got to the buses about a half hour into the boarding process and after a potty break in Athlete’s Village and checking gear it was time to walk to the start corrals.
Miscellaneous Tidbits You Should Know
Pack your Stick in your carryon and I assure you it’ll be confiscated. I speak from experience.
Wear your Boston jacket thru the airport and the odds of being pulled aside and searched go up. Apparently Boston blue was on the TSA’s hit list last year.
Resist buying any Boston clothing at the expo. The lines are typically at least a block long. I hope you already got what you wanted at RunningWarehouse with some sweet discount action to boot. City Sports in Boston, among others, also sell marathon merchandise.
If you can’t drive the course in the days leading up to the race, watch the course video at the expo.
Be sure to pickup an Adidas poster at the expo. The names of everyone running will be on it. Cool souvenir.
Stop by the John Hancock area and grab yourself a Boston 26.2 sticker. Another great souvenir.
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