2016-04: Boston Marathon

The longest of our long runs (22 miles, preparing for the marathon in April) included a quick chat with the alpacas on Elk Run Church Road. When I’d come this way alone two weeks earlier, they took no notice, but on both occasions with Leslie, this time and a month earlier, they came rushing over to see her. In shot two, we’re waiting for the bus from Boston Common (see state capitol gleaming in the sun behind us) to the starting line in Hopkinton. Shots three, four, and five are at mile 23, two miles after the notorious Heartbreak Hill. Shot seven is under the famous Citgo sign atop Fenway Park, home since 1912 of the Boston Red Sox, and near marathon milepost 25.

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Leslie and I did almost all of our long training runs together, and upon final arrival at the Boston starting line, managed to stay together through that crowded race all the way to the end. Our official chip finish time was listed as 4:22:27, an average pace of 10:01 per mile, after adjusting for the time between the starting pistol at 11:15am and when we actually crossed the start line.

I liked this mile-by-mile guide to the course.

Two excerpts from the BAA website:

Near perfect conditions greeted the 27,491 runners who lined up in Hopkinton for the 120th running of the Boston Marathon: temperatures in the low ’60s; no humidity; a gentle, cooling breeze. Ethiopia’s Lemi Berhanu Hayle took supreme advantage of the crystal clear day, running away from defending champion Lelisa Desisa in grand style before breaking the tape in 2:12:45.

[And in the women’s race…]

Coming from 37 seconds back at 35K, Atsede Baysa recorded one of the greatest come-from-behind victories in the history of women’s racing at the Boston Marathon, blasting past the leaders just beyond mile 24 and going on to win in 2:29:19.

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