The Boston Marathon

History:

In 1897, the first Boston Marathon was run, as the first in the US and the first Marathon outside of Greece.

The first Marathon was run in ancient Greece, but the first Modern Marathon was the Modern Olympics, 1896, Summer Olympics I. It was based on the success of that event that organizers in Boston began the Boston Marathon the year after. The success of the 1896 Olympic Games was phenomenal for its time with 43 events in 9 sports and 241 athletes from 14 countries.

Girls just want to have fun.

Until 1967, the Boston was run only by men.

In 1967, K. V. Switzer and Bobbi Gibb filled out entry forms and were given numbers. Jock Semple tried to rip off the numbers of K.V. Switzer and Bobbi Gibbs, but K. V. (Kathrine Switzer) did finish. Not sure about Bobbi (Roberta).

Scandal

And in 1980, Rosie Ruiz cheated when she jumped on a train midway then somehow managed to get to the finish line, not sweaty and suspiciously not tired and not very fit. Race videotapes did not show her appearing in the tape until about 1 mile near the finish line. After an investigation, the Women's Winner was officially awarded to Canadian competitor, Quebecois Jacquie Garreau, a nurse in Montreal.

It was not until 1972, howver that women were officially allowed to enter the race, and not until the mid or late 1980s before the race stopped calling it the WINNER and the WOMEN's WINNER. Now we have a MEN's WINNER, a WOMEN's WINNER, a WHEELCHAIR WINNER and other categories, too. We have an official injured War Veterans category.

Boston is the premier Marathon

Outside of the Olympics and the Olympic Trials, Boston is the only Marathon that requires a qualifying time to enter. Thus Boston is the premier prestige Marathon for elite athletes, making it possible for them to qualify for Olympic trials based on their Boston times.

Boston records:

Men: 2:07:14 (2006)
Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot

Women: 2:20:43 (2002)
Margaret Okayo

Source: Wikipedia

 

Numbers of runners

In the late 70s and early 80s, the Boston Marathon had about 6,000 official runners, which, during distance running's boom, people thought was a heavy field. In recent years, however, since John Hancock took it over, the field is some 25,000 thick. For the 100th running of the Boston Marathon in 1996, there were 38,000 competitors.

Boston is also one of the more difficult races because of the four hills in Newton, collectivley known as Heartbreak Hill. I ran a 10K Heartbreak Hill road race once. Let me tell you. You really respect Heartbreak Hill after that.

Boston is Massachusetts' most-watched spectator sport with about 500,00 spectators along the 26.2 mile course. Along the Wellesley College portion of the race route from Hopkinton to Copley Square, Boston, the Wellesley girls are known as the 'screaming girls.'

Support while running is so very important, if you've ever engaged in a road race or a sport of any kind. It really helps to keep going when you hear those CHEERS! That is what I love about watching! I'm cheering non stop. Go Yellow. Go Austria. Go NY. But not the YANKEES.

I have watched it in person most years. Rain or shine. Probably not tomorrow.

Qualifying times:

Source: Wikipedia

My husband:

My husband has, for the last 10 years, gone to Hopkinton every Boston Marathon Monday (always on Patriot's Day, a Monday near April 20th), and has given a motivational talk to the runners at Hopkinton at 8:30 before their race.

My husband is a psychologist and sports psychologist as well as a master's track and field athlete. He's run New York twice, but prefers sprint and jumping. I prefer distance. I've run 10K, 5K, and 20K races, (SOME years ago) and actually ran 17 miles twice. I think my body really does not want to run a marathon.

And! Today, my husband was at the Official Boston Marathon Expo at the Hynes Convention center for a Meet the Doctors in the Children's Hospital Doctor's booth, and then he had a talk about Peak Performance and Managing Your Anxieties, and then he was in a panel discussion. He is writing a book. As if he's not busy enough, with his practice, nursing homes, track schedule. Oh yeah and family. Kids and moi.

 

Dick and Rick Hoyt

The inspirational Hoyt Father and Son team. Dick and Rick Hoyt are an amazing Father and Son team. Rick was born with Cerebral Palsy and his father, Dick, did not want his son to have a life as a disabled person.

For more than 27 years, Dad Dick has run Boston and many other marathons pushing his son, Rick in a wheelchair, to let people know that life goes on, despite the curve balls.  This year, Father Hoyt will be 69 and Rick will be 48.  They run a good pace, running faster than 90 percent of the pack.