Boston Marathon 2024 Recap

Usually after a race, especially a big one, I can’t wait to sit down and write a race recap to share with y’all. I’m not really sure why it took me three months to get around to writing about this year’s Boston Marathon but here ya go. I hope you enjoy reading about it much more than I did running it this year.

Good Beginnings

The day of the race always requires an early alarm. We were fortunate to stay with some new friends in Cambridge at a great little Air BnB. Although Patrick and I were taking different routes to the start line, it was nice that we got to ride the T together to get us to our respective hotels. After seeing Patrick off at the Hilton Boston Back Bay where he would catch the Baumann Bus to the start, I made the short walk over to the Westin Copley Place where I would join the other Unicorn Club members.

I won’t go into great detail about the Unicorn Club. I will say if you have the opportunity to take advantage of it I highly recommend and plan on using it again for future Boston Marathons. They had a great breakfast spread for us set up as we waited to board the luxury motor coaches to haul us to the start line in Hopkinton.

Where it All Begins

Once arriving in Hopkinton there was a tent for the Unicorn Club right at the start corrals, along with a bank of porta potties set aside just for us.

The Training Before the Start Line

My preparation for this year’s race was less than stellar. It’s not that I didn’t do the work. I was still dealing with ongoing Long Covid issues, I wasn’t sure what I would be capable of because of the breathing and heart rate issues I was having. Add to that the fact that the weather ended up being very warm and humid, I had some concerns from the start. Still, not wanting to be a big baby, I set the goal of coming in under 3:25, which would give me a ten minute cushion for next year’s race. I did my best pre-race to keep cool and hydrated and waited as long as I could before heading out into the shadeless corral.

The Plan

Starting in the last corral of wave one allowed me to start at my own pace and not get caught up in the excitement and adrenaline that causes many runners to go out faster than they should. I knew that I wouldn’t be seeing Jill on the course this year as she was going to take advantage of the Unicorn Club Amenities. I shared with her my strategy and told her if she sees me moving slower than goal pace to hit 3:25, that I was just going to try and take it easy and enjoy the experience as much as possible.

First Half

My heart rate after mile one was 156, probably due to the fact that most of that mile is downhill. Shortly after that my heart rate climbed to the low 170s and I figured it was going to be a tough day. Still, I was determined to give it my best to hit my pre-race goal. I managed to hit the halfway point in 1:39:25. This was a little faster than intended but with all the downhill early on in the race I was ok with it. My heart rate seemed to be holding steady around 175. As long as it stayed around there my plan was to keep pushing to hit my goal.

And Then the Other Shoe Dropped

Shortly after mile 14 things quickly changed. My heart rate spiked to over 190 and my breathing became very labored. I tried dialing the pace back a little bit to see if that would help but I was quickly coming to the realization that today was not going to be the day that I wanted it to be. Right around the 25K mark, shortly before the big drop into Lower Newton Falls, I couldn’t catch my breath on a short incline. I’ve had issues with breathing for a while now but nothing like this. It felt like I had a huge weight on my chest and couldn’t get any air in. I decided at that moment that once the Newton Hills started I would be walking the uphills and running the downhills as much as I could.

When Breathing Becomes Secondary

As I continued working my way towards Heartbreak Hill, I started to become concerned that finishing the race may not be in the cards for me today. I was walking more than running and any time I tried to run my breathing was shallow. The crowds were super great because of the warm weather and I was very appreciative for the support and encouragement when things got tough. Once I hit mile 20 I made the decision that even if I had to walk the rest of the way, unless I passed out on the course I was going to finish.

The Blur to the Finish

I’ll be honest, I don’t remember a lot of the last six miles. I just kept putting one foot in front of the other knowing that Jill would be waiting for me at the finish line. Another perk of the Unicorn Club is that Jill was able to get bleacher seats at the finish line. This would be the first time she would actually get to see me finish live. As I made the right on Hereford and left on Boylston, I felt an overwhelming sense of emotions. Because of my ongoing health issues, I wasn’t sure if this is something I would get to experience again. I drifted towards the right side of the road, looking for Jill as I approached the bleachers. Fortunately i was able to see her and finally crossed the finish line in 3:47:14.

Staying Conscious – Optional Once You Get the Medal

I staggered my way forward as I felt like I was going to pass out at any time. After collecting my medal I took a short cut thru some barriers and found Jill waiting for me at our designated meeting spot. She helped me make my way back to the hotel for the post race Unicorm Club celebration. I’m pretty sure they had a nice spread of food and beverages and some other great amenities. As soon as i was able to regain my faculties a little bit, we made the walk to the closest T stop. Jill always takes such good care of me and had an Uber waiting for us when we got off the T in Cambridge so I didn’t have to make the mile walk back to the house.

Gratitude

All in all it was a great weekend. We met some wonderful new friends and caught up with many old friends. I don’t know what the future holds for me as a runner but I will cherish all of my Boston Marathon finishes. They weren’t always fun and they weren’t always pretty but I’ll never take for granted how fortunate I am to have run this hallowed course seven times.

Until Next Year, Boston

Although I didn’t requalify at Boston for next year’s marathon, I’m not giving up! This was number 7 and all you have to do is get to 10 in a row before you are guaranteed entry by making your cutoff time – 1 second. So I’m back at it. On the treadmill every day, working for a Boston Qualifier in September. Stay with me for updates along the way on Instagram at Runner_Dad. And if you love travel like we do, join our tribe for free to get the very latest from us plus lots of bonus content.