Race Coverage

Scream Tunnels, Thankful Quads & Citgo Signs...

Friday, 22 October 2021 00:10

ED. Katie enjoyed a breakout year on our state's tri scene this year. Her nomination for  "Most Improved" will be announced next week.

By Katie Deregnier

Boston Marathon Race Report - If you ever get a chance to do the Boston marathon, do it. It is an incredible experience that will leave you smiling for days! This year, Boston was moved from April to October with no complaint. The beautiful fall leaves, and amazing weather (65 and cloudy) made for an absolutely perfect day to run a marathon.

Boston started with a rolling start based on qualifying times. The morning is quite the process as athletes are shuffled in to buses at their designated times to drive to the town of Hopkinton where the start is located. After leaving the bus, athletes walk about a mile to the start line, and roll into the race. This made for a very laid-back atmosphere with ample time to take photos beforehand.

Since Boston is a one-way course, I met spectators at every town. Each place had it's own source of energy, from kids giving high fives, to live music, to the famous Wellesley college "scream tunnel" where hundreds of women from Wellesley college line up and scream- we could hear them a mile away! ...

The first 12 to 16 miles of the course is seemingly downhill, so an experienced Boston runner would tell you not to be foolish and stay conservative before the coming hills after mile 16. Your quads will thank you later!

My race goals were to enjoy the race at a manageable pace, and treat it as my last long run before Ironman Florida so that recovery would be quick and painless. Luckily I had a long-time friend who had the same mindset, and we stuck together the entire way. Maybe the best part of the race was the ability to cheer her and other athletes on throughout the toughest moments. Heartbreak hill can be challenging, but the amount of comradery that is present in athletes during an endurance race is indescribable.

It was fantastic to feel relaxed the entire time, taking it all in, and truly live in the moment. The crowds of people coming together to cheer on thousands of athletes was unlike anything else. By the time we reached mile 24, the large Citgo sign was in sight, and adrenaline took us the rest of the way.

At the finish line, we met Minnesota's Sharon Heyer who had a 14-minute Boston PR! What a cool feeling to experience moments like these with our community of Minnesota athletes!

To reach the finish line is always an accomplishment, but to reach the finish line with such gratitude in my heart to have been able to encourage others along the way was most enjoyable!