Marathon #28 - Massachusetts (Part 1)

My 28th marathon in my 28th state was the 2015 Boston Marathon in Massachusetts.  Because I took so many pictures and there is so much to talk about with this marathon, I am breaking out my review blog into three entries:  the course, the main race review, and travel/tourism.  Part one will be about the course.

The Race:  Boston Marathon, Monday, April 20, 2015 (Patriot's Day).

My goal for the Boston Marathon was primarily to finish, as it is hard enough to get in to begin with, and who knows if I'll ever get in again in the future.  My secondary goal was to enjoy every mile along the way.  In order to do this, I stopped and took pictures, gave high-fives to the fans, and took in the course and the scenery.

Everyone talks about how difficult the course is, and how it can really take a toll on runners.  I think that is likely true, if you are from Florida and you have no place to train for hills.  Being from Atlanta, I run on hills all the time, and the course was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be, based on the warnings I had gotten from other runners.

The course was really nice.  I was well prepared for what to expect because I read Michael Connelly's book 26.2 Miles to Boston, which details each miles' terrain along with the history that happened in each mile.  It's a fabulous read for anyone who wants to run Boston.  The course starts 26 miles outside of Boston in Hopkinton, MA and runs point-to-point into the city.  Most of the first half is downhill, although there are definitely some rolling hills mixed in. 

The course goes through eight cities along the way:  Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline, and Boston.

Leaving Ashland

Running into Ashland

Entering Framingham

Framingham fans

Entering Natick

Entering Wellesley

Entering Newton

Fire station after turning onto Boyslton St. to start the Newton Hills

No one would ever say Boston is flat.  There are hills throughout the course, but the hardest hills are between miles 16 and 21. There are three hills that are pretty long (half mile to a mile long each) that happen back-to-back.  The last one is called Heartbreak Hill, basically because by the time you get to it, the other two hills have defeated you, and you don't have much energy left to get over that last big hill. 

Conquering the Newton Hills

Made it to the top!

Mile 20:  This is where the race really begins!

 

Brookline - the last city before Boston

The remainder of the course is rather easy compared to the three hills in Newton, MA.  There are still some rolling hills, but nothing as bad as the ones behind you at that point. And once you turn onto Boylston Street, you can see the finish line in the distance, motivating you to finish the last mile strong.

The scenery along the way is great too.  You go past several places where you can see the river.  

Running beside the Charles River

There are nice houses and small businesses on either side most of the way.  You go past Wellesley College and Boston College along the way, and both schools have some very nice buildings.  

Boston College in the distance behind the trees

Finally in Boston!

The Citgo sign in the background

Once you get close to the city, you start to see the old churches and the Citgo sign near Fenway Park.

Turning onto Boylston Street, you can see the finish line in the distance

And then the big buildings of the city welcome you to the finish line.

The road was surprisingly well kept for a northern start that gets a good deal of snow in the winter.  I find myself watching to road more than anything to keep from tripping on or falling into a pothole in most of the northern states I've run in, but not Boston.  I never really felt worried about potholes or other road issues because the road was so well kept.

The course was well marshaled, although you don't need much direction when it is basically a straight road the entire time.  There were local police and military police all along the course, so I never felt unsafe or like a car was going to drive through and hit the runners.  It was a closed course, so there were no cars driving around the runners.

Overall the course is a great course!  It's challenging enough, yet not too tough.  The tour through the suburbs on the way to Boston is a great way to see some of Massachusetts.