Kumar Rao ran the Boston Marathon and finished with a time of 3:59:33. This was a personal record by 5 minutes 34 seconds!
The race went off very well with my first sub-4 finish of 3:59:33. It was a PB for me by more than 5′ 30″ and also was a BQ with more than 20 minutes to spare, so was quite happy about it. Mostly tried to follow the pacing plan that had been provided by Coach Claire Bartholic, just monitoring the splits every 2 miles and trying to maintain constant effort over the hills using Stryd Power. I felt pretty good throughout the race, running the whole distance without pausing or walking even once, as I was carrying my own fuelling and hydration.
There had been a few unforeseen incidents on race morning, which led to my catching one of the last buses from Boston Commons. The race authorities did not line up the corrals as normal. I found myself running alone from the start line down the steep first mile of the course, feeling like an elite running to the loud cheers of the crowd. Ended up running the first few miles faster than planned.
The run felt quite easy for the most part with very easy breathing, conversing with a number of runners on the way and enjoying the crowd support. I increased the effort on the hills, but had no difficulty dealing with the hills. Had some pain in the quads and hamstrings during the final 4 or 5 miles and willed myself not to cramp. Sprinted after the turn onto Boylston Street to ensure I could complete the race in less than 4 hours.
This was a great training cycle culminating in the best of the 9 marathons I have run, thanks to the RC training plan finely tuned to my abilities and goals, the mentoring from the coaches, the excellent detailed race plan package, and the support of the RC community.
Tatyana Zicko ran the Boston Marathon with a finishing time of 3:12:04, which was a PR by 45 seconds!
This was my 10th Boston Marathon and my 8th consecutive. I ran a personal and course PR, four years after my lifetime PR. I’ve tried to beat my PR for the past four years, but have hovered between 3:15 and 3:17 regardless of course or weather. I continue to fall short of 3:10 that I train for, but I am getting better with age, so maybe I’ll get closer at Berlin this year. If not, I’ll be back at Boston next year to try again.
The past few days, I thought a lot about two things. One, how Deena Kastor’s performance improved when she started telling herself saying I can instead of I can’t. Two, an elite runner who said she’d never advance unless she got out of her comfort zone. I am guilty of both things: not believing I can and afraid to push harder.
I conscientiously tried to tell myself before and during the race that I was going to PR and I had to risk giving my all if I was going to break away from four years of similar results. It was the latter that motivated me the most. I know I’m getting older, but I refuse to use that as an reason. So, yesterday, I proved, I can get faster with age. I ran on feel and focused on pressing forward. I was comfortable throughout the race and nothing hurt.
I followed Jeff’s basic marathon plan that said to run as fast as I could the last three miles. I repeatedly told myself earlier in the race to relax because at mile 23, I was going to have to run as hard as I could like I’d done in training. In the past, I didn’t start pushing until a little after the 25.2 mile mark, because I was afraid. Yet, I wanted to get out of the rut, so I followed the plan.
I am proud that I pushed hard at the end, took a chance and believed in myself. I know these things will make me a better runner. I will take this attitude to the next race and training.
Mimi Lam ran the Boston Marathon and finished this distance in the time of 3:21.
9 minutes PR on this course . Thanks to coach Dylan Belles . We had a plan and it worked 🙂
Sophia Chen ran the Boston Marathon and finished with a time of 3:06:12.
Did just ok this year. I was hoping for sub 3:05 (which was actually my C goal… 3:03 was my B goal and 3:01 was my A goal ), but I didn’t get in the right head space in the second half and missed it by 72 seconds. I had some GI issues toward the end which resulted in my losing about a minute in the bathroom. I also forgot my Maurten gels in the car, which bummed me out, but I was able to at least get the Clif gels on the course which were an adequate replacement. I am thankful that the weather was pretty great considering how bad the predictions were leading up to it but also feel like I will need to redeem myself in the next race.
David Willard ran the Boston Marathon and finished this race in the time of 3:34:14. This was a new personal record by 4:24.
A PR by over 4 minutes at the Boston Marathon- I will take it. Wanted to finish under 3:30, but officially 3:34:14. Through mile 11 it was cloudy which kept temperatures nice but from mile 11 on sun came out and it was surprisingly hot (70’s). I started in wave 3 and course was very crowded through mile 4-5 making it a challenge. Appreciate the Boston specific training- a lot of runners were walking the famous Newton hills, especially heartbreak hill. But I felt prepared and ran through them passing many runners. The hardest stretch for me was the last 2-3 miles. Just had to gut it out but the Runners Connect training really helped. Don’t think I would have done nearly as well without it. Boston was great- crowds to cheer you on almost the entire way.
Alyssa Harvey ran th Boston Marathon and finished in a time of 3:30.57.
This was a Boston pr for me. My legs were killing from the hills and it was pretty hard first 6 miles to get through crowds. But my stomach and energy were great whole time, just drank lots of water at stations though because it was real warm. I really think if flatter course would have done better! But I am happy!
Karen Niss ran the Boston Marathon and completed this race event in the time of 3:49:27.
That I would qualify again by a little over five minutes if the standards weren’t changing for next year. Boston is so challenging and I am just very glad that at this point in my life I am still able to run a solid race like I did today.
Bill Nitzberg ran the Boston Marathon and finished with a time of 4:01:26.
Boston, check! 4:01:26… happy, and close to expectations (given my 4 week injury break), but really poorly executed — way, way too fast at the start: 10k paces went from 5:01 per km to 5:24 to 5:48 to 6:08; at least I had a tiny bit of kick and ended the last bit with a 5:36. I tried to “run by feel”, but couldn’t help looking at my watch to see how I was doing.
The course was great, and SO MANY PEOPLE — wow. Even the weather cooperated, light drizzle before the race, then overcast while I was running. All in all, a great experience and it was awesome to meet all the other RunnersConnect folks on Saturday — hope everyone else had a good time too.
Vincent Hardy ran the Boston Marathon with a finishing time of 2:58:22, which was a PR by 1:30.
First, my heartfelt thanks to the coaches for the great preparation leading up to Boston. My dream was to break 3h at Boston and to PR. I did both and I am sooo happy about that. The race ended up a little scary; my legs stopped working 30 yards from the finish. I fell and two very nice fellow runners picked me up and got me to the finish line. I should say they carried me, probably a better description. I was dizzy and I started cramping a lot. My theory is that I did not replenish on salt during the race and I had one too few gel. Regardless, this will remain a memorable day, with encouraging friends, the energy from the crowd and such a better experience than last year. Congrats to both Tom Van Ongeval for another amazing race and to our friend Aude who PRed by 5mn! And congratulations to all the other RunnerConnect athletes who competed today!
Zinan Chen ran the Boston Marathon and finished this race event in the time of 3:37.
I started the race with one of best friends who is an Ironman competitor(in his prime he finished Boston 2:57). As soon as we started, he took off, I was determined to follow 3:30 race plan Claire has put together for me, so I held my pace for first 16 miles. I was so glad I did that as I had good energy to climb all the way to the top of heartbreak hill. Amazingly I caught my friend, I was so proud of it as I know how strong he was. I was determined and confident to keep up with him for the rest of the way. Soon I realized that this was not his day, he started to slow. I could easily leave him and run my own pace or to run with him to pace him home. The answer was obviously the latter as how often anyone in the world could run and finish a marathon with a lifelong friend of 40 years!! So I disregarded his encouragement of leaving him, I sticked with him and helped him to the finish line together. Sure I could have done 3:30 or under, but I am never been more proud of finishing a marathon at 3:37!! Ok next one I will go all out 🙂
Terence Baptiste ran the Boston Marathon, finishing this distance in the time of 3:44:08.
This was my first Boston. The heat and the hills got to me, but I am officially a Boston Marathoner:) thanks for all the help coaches
Hein Mynhardt ran the Boston Marathon and finished with a time of 3:33:29.
Took it easy and breezed through 1st 25k’s, knew legs were not happy but prepared to gut it out. Then came Newton and heartbreak hill, think my legs are still on heartbreak hill. Took all the tools of the trade to get the supposed easy post 21mile part down. Heart rate shows that I had to dig 2nd half. All in all happy with a honest no hold back effort.
Wally Bixby ran the Boston Marathon and finished in a time of 3:48:31.
This did not go as planned but I got through it.
Aude Hofleitner ran the Boston Marathon with a finishing time of 3:17:46. This was a PR by 5 minutes!
I was planning on having fun and it really happened. Plus I got an overall pr by 5 minutes (compared to Chicago 2018) and over 15 minutes under my previous Boston (2017). Oh and I got the fastest last mile award from strava because they look at the last split… Sprint on Boylston! I was aiming for 3:25 knowing that big Sur is coming up in less than two weeks and I was feeling good so I decided to just go to feel and let the legs decide what they were up to!
I felt good in the Newton hills and felt invulnerable afterwards, focusing on the feeling of the pace, getting infused by the energy while keeping my mind on the run. The last miles flew by and with 2 miles to go I knew I had a pretty good lead on my pr. The straight on Boylston felt amazing and I enjoyed every second of it as I was picking up the pace a bit more. Now onto big Sur in 13 days ???.
Bill Leppert ran the Boston Marathon and finished this distance in the time of 3:56:21.
First Boston with the new hip.
Mike OLoughlin ran the Boston Marathon and finished this race in the time of 5:04:42.
I was hoping for a better time than this, but after 13 miles I could feel my body asking for a break. I went into survival mode, doing what I had to do to make it to the Finish. I slowed my pace and had to walk on the Newton Hills. I fought off cramps in the final 6 miles. I got a burst of energy after turning on to Boylston St. and was able to speed up a little and look and feel like a strong finisher. Overall, I accomplished my goal of really enjoying this first Boston Marathon. Everything about this race was epic. I have never experienced such support and enthusiasm from so many. I wrote my age of 73 on my calves and got a lot of support and comments from fellow runners. Two of my adult children made the trip with my wife and I and two other of my adult children surprised me on the race course. Coming from Arizona, that was a real surprise! I am going out on top and calling this my last marathon. I will run Half Marathons as long as I am able. What a great way to finish my marathon running.
Corey Wittersheim ran the Boston Marathon with a finishing time of 2:59:11.
The Newton hills derailed my plan a bit. The yo yo weather ended up being warmer than expected. All things considered, this was a success – sub 3 in Boston
Pete Sullivan ran the Boston Marathon and finished with a time of 3:08.
I kind of knew I was not in PR/sub-3 shape, after missing some time and key workouts with injury and illness this training period but my plan was to go for it and see what happens. I felt great and ran exactly to my plan for the first 16 miles. Then the Newton Hills ate me up and Heartbreak Hill spit me out. I slowed significantly the over last 6 miles. My legs were just trashed. After the hills, the sun came out, the weather was GEORGEOUS. But, 99% of my training for this race occurred in 20-30 degree weather and I was not prepared or acclimated to what ended up being temps in the upper 60s. All in all it was still a great day, however. My wife, parents and brother were there to support me. The volunteers were incredible. 8 marathons in, I am still learning the nuances of how to run this race “fast”. I certainly learned some good lessons in Boston this year. I am so lucky to have run this wonderful race 2 years in a row and am thankful every day that I am healthy and able enough to do run.
Mark Taber ran the Boston Marathon and finished in a time of 4:08.
Boston for the first time. Fabulous feeling turning the corner onto Boylston and seeing the finish line.
Jaron Brown ran the Boston Marathon and finished this race event in the time of 3:54:59.
This was my first Boston marathon. I ran for a charity with a friend of mine. We raised over $16,000. Although my race result wasn’t what I expected. I ran for a worthy cause.
Michelle Hall ran the Boston Marathon and completed this distance in the time of 3:43:35. This was a personal record by 2 minutes 20 seconds!
It was warm at the start and got warmer through the day with full sun in the last half. They let two waves go at the same time so the first 5 or six miles were really crowded. I focused on my form until the last mile or two. I passed many walkers on the last 5 miles. I was happy with my pacing and effort, but I am not used to the heat after a winter of running at 30 or lower degrees. I poured as much water into my body as I did on my body to keep cool. I also got 6 popsicles from people on the course. That was awesome! I do not sweat, so I have to cool myself otherways. Then, I headed into the Newton hills. All in all, I am happy with my 5th Boston race and look forward to next year. I am very thankful for the coaches guidance through this training. I was on the road so often it was hard to get all the runs in but I greatly appreciate your support along the way. I requalified with a ~35 minute cushion. Finally, I really liked this year’s training plan. I felt the workouts were great and prepared me well.
Michael Parker ran the Boston Marathon and finished this distance in the time of 4:39:55.
I had missed about 6 weeks of training and knew I wasn’t 100% either physically of from a fitness standpoint so my expectations were very moderate. Even so this was my slowest ever marathon by 35 minutes and some strange things happened physically. My legs felt very fatigued right from the start and my calves started to cramp around mile 9. That has never happened before. Also, my marathon shoes are Brooks Glycerin and they have always been a shoe I didn’t have to worry about because they are so comfortable. For some reason yesterday, both feet hurt really badly. This made even walking difficult. Anyway, not a great day.
Bill Hunter ran the Boston Marathon with a finishing time of 4:25:36.
In the words of that great Bostonian philosopher, Norm from Cheers, the Boston Marathon “treated me the way a baby treats a diaper.” Absolutely everything went wrong from me – I even set a new “personal worst” by over 40 minutes! I had expectations of 3:30 – 3:40 when I started. It all started so well – I went out easy – 5:10/km for the first 5 km, then settled in at 5:00/km for the next 10 km – all according to plan. Then around 20 km, my legs started felling heavy and by 25 km, they were completely done. It was humid and I seemed to be chasing my hydration, which of course made my stomach not great….and….I ended up doing a lot of walking! I honestly don’t know how I finished – jog for a block, walk a block….longest last 15 kms of my life. BUT….you sure do get to experience the amazing Boston crowd – so supportive, so great. I’m sure philosopher Norm would agree, life’s significant milestones are meant to be hard, and Boston made sure I really earned that last medal! Thanks to all at Runner’s Connect for their support.
Kumara Raghavan ran the Boston Marathon and finished this distance in the time of 4:01:02.
Finished Boston yesterday. Not my best at 4:01, but was very happy with it considering I had 4 months off running with runner’s knee and got back into training very slowly from Dec. A big thanks to the coaches for the strength program and the run plan and getting me to the start line in good shape. I was looking good for a sub 3:45 till 30kms. Then cramps struck me on my hamstring. Still, I gave all I had which I was happy with.
Erin Wood ran the Boston Marathon, finishing this distance in the time of 4:03:18.
The experience was amazing even though I felt pretty terrible throughout. I was battling stomach cramps and nausea basically from the beginning. I didn’t really have a time goal, just wanted to soak it all in. So with that I decided to slow it on down and I ran my slowest marathon to date. I was amazed by all the volunteers and crowds that come out to cheer. When I turned on Boylston it started to gently rain and the roar of the crowd on both sides was so epic, I’ll always remember that!
Justin Campbell ran the Boston Marathon and finished this race in the time of 3:32:58.
I had a rough day. I was hoping to run in the 3:15-3:17 range. My plan was to do the first 15 just above goal pace (goal pace being 7:26, so I planned to go at 7:30) and then slow a little through the newton hills. I was 12 seconds ahead of plan at mile 15 and feeling very good. I then slowed to 7:50 over the next 4 miles and was still feeling very good. Mile 20 I dropped to 8:10 which was not my plan and I was hurting. 8:30 for 21 and I knew I was in trouble. At this point the sun was out and it was hot. I was getting very dizzy. Mile 22 I tried to reign it in and only got to 8:20. The the wheels came off. I couldn’t really run any more. Surprisingly, I wasn’t having any cramping. But I was walk running. The next 3 miles were so hard. 9+, 10+, 11+. I live at mile 24. My family was there and my 11 year old daughter knew I had fallen off the pace. She was so encouraging but I was a mess. The last bit was just an absolute slog to get to the finish. I realized at the end that I was so focused on hitting each fluid station after the sun came out that I had stopped taking the nutrition that I carried after mile 12. Thank you to all the coaches for all the advice and support. Thank you also to all the runners for your support and wisdom.
Ryan Timmons ran the Boston Marathon and finished in a time of 3:15.
Followed plan (3:00:00) for first 15 miles but weather was too warm — similar to my chicago race in 2017 (where I basically got heat stroke at the end). I started feeling a little weak (stomach shutting down, face feeling flush) around mile 15 and decided to call it shortly thereafter — just jogged the last 9 miles.
Gregg Fergot ran the Boston Marathon and finished this race event in the time of 3:23:28.
They’re all special, but at 56 this was my 6th Boston and a course PR.
Trish Laliberte ran the Boston Marathon and finished with a time of 4:05:37.
I didn’t have big time goals going into the race but I did expect better. I started out feeling good and strong. I was concerned that I started too fast and tried to rein myself in but with the down hills and the excitement of the beginning it was hard to control. Just before 20k an ongoing hip injury flared up and progressively got worse as the race went on. The down hill was the worst. By the end of the race I was mentally defeated. Will chalk this one as a good learning experience.
Diza Hilles ran the Boston Marathon and completed this distance in the time of 3:57:33.
This was my 7th Boston Marathon completed. I love the accomplishment but I was disappointed with how terrible I felt by mile 15. After having run a 3:44 marathon in the Fall and having such a unremarkable training period, I hoped for a better result. The lead up to the race was fine and I took off feeling good. By mile 15 the heat and humidity was weighing on me. Eventually I walked through every water station and doused myself with water. I had good hydration (I carry my own) and fuel. My quads became very tight toward the end. I definitely have a love/hate relationship with the Boston Marathon! I am still grateful to be here and I’m sure I’ll be back.
Angie Banks ran the Boston Marathon with a finishing time of 3:27:20. This was a new personal record by two minutes!
Boston in and of itself! What a race. I felt like I was conservative enough during the beginning miles, but by mile 7 my quads were already feeling it much more than I would have liked. The last 5 miles were extremely tough and mentally I had to give it all that I had to just keep going. But I did and I ended up with a PR of about 2 minutes which I was very pleased by considering how extremely difficult the last 5 miles were for me. Thrilled to have a PR on the Boston course!
Kirsten Kalkhurst Burbo ran the Boston Marathon and finished with a time of 3:43:54.
Overall, heat and humidity are not my friend and I really don’t have a great track record when it comes to racing in these conditions. That said, I’m pretty proud of this effort. I really kept it together until mile 25. I even stopped and chatted with the family briefly at mile 24. I admit, I actually DID consider just slipping off the course and into the car at that point. The last 3 miles were really tough for me. But it was still a 3 minute course PR for me in tough conditions so I am pleased. Nothing beats the Boston marathon crowds. AMAZING!!
Lisa Shutkufski ran the Boston Marathon and finished this distance in the time of 4:17:58.
This was my first Boston. After trying for many years. A bucket list check mark for me. I qualified in Sept, had an out of the blue injury in Dec and had to do some catch up to get back on track for the April race. I don’t think my body was fully truly ready to go hard again although I was feeling good throughout the training. Although I completed all of my hard workouts that were prescribed, I picked up some nagging tendinitis/shin/calf pain near the end. I was so proud of myself for how strong of a runner I’d become since following the RC plan. I truly felt a transformation to a “Boston Runner”.
Karen Murray ran the Boston Marathon and finished with a time of 4:21:41.
Weather was really crazy! Day started off with pouring rain and thunderstorms, then it was clear and hot and humid, and then another storm blew in.
Francesca Fuller ran the Boston Marathon with a finishing time of 4:35:11. This was a PR by 8 minutes!
I was shocked to PR given I had taken so much time off, my foot injury and the weather. I really believe following the plan given to me and having faith in it paid off.
Michael Zadnik ran the Boston Marathon and finished this distance in the time of 3:10:09.
I finished this race right around the time I’d hoped to run, maybe a hair faster. I really didn’t have an exact goal due to my hamstring injury, but expected to come in under 3:15:00. My strategy for the race was actually to start fast and get through as many miles as possible before my hamstring pain kicked in and made things more difficult. I planned this strategy based on the results of my training long runs where I struggled to run/finish my 22-milers at an easy pace, but had success running my 20-miler at a faster pace.
I feel like this strategy worked really well as I completed 9 of the first 16 miles running under 7 minutes per mile and all 16 under a 7:10 mpm pace, pretty much pain-free. The hill between mile 16 and 17 was essentially the one that really aggravated the injury. Once the pain kicked in, my stride became shorter and lifting my leg became a challenge. I finished the race with good energy and could’ve kept going if I needed to, but the injury holding me back.
John Bird ran the Boston Marathon and finished this distance in the time of 3:17:53.
Return to Boston after getting blown up last time. This was a redemption run and I’m relatively happy with the result on a tricky day.
Lucy Cheng ran the Boston Marathon and finished this race in the time of 3:58:45.
In spite of not reaching my goal, I had a BLAST at my second chance at running Boston. The crowd support is like no other and the energy is through the roof. Someone here in RC recommended that you put your name on your bib. Best idea ever. I had some rough patches out there and got a huge boost when strangers started calling out my name to cheer and encourage me.
First few miles were so hard to control the pace because of the downhill, energy and crowds. I should have held back a bit, but it was sooo hard to slow down. I kept looking at each split on my watch until mile 10 and decided that this was not working for me. Going by feel is how I can relax and get into a good rhythm.
By mile 12 I felt dehydrated even though I had stopped at every water station. The mistake was not taking gatorade by now. Mile 17-20 is where I was working extra hard with the hills, the full sun and the humidity, I had to walk/jog from miles 21-23 because of a foot/calf cramp on my right leg. I saw there was no way to meet goal A, but a chance for the B goal was still there (A was 3:54-3:55, B sub-4 hour, C -4:05 to be under BQ time, D – finish).
The last 3+ miles were rough because it felt like everything was just taking extra effort and the calf cramp kept coming back. Overall it was a rough one out there today and glad that I fought until the end and didn’t give up. So I call it a win. Next time, my takeaway is to expect the unexpected and to train for just about anything if I am able to.
Tammy Loux ran the Boston Marathon and finished with a time of 3:53:31.
It was an extremely challenging course for a Florida girl but I pushed through to the end and caught the ??. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my friends and family. To Runners Connect, thank you for the workouts and feedback from the coaches. I raise my glass ? to #boston for their hospitality during the #bostonmarathon weekend. You made this experience memorable. ?.
Adrian Grancea ran the Boston Marathon and finished this race in the time of 3:22:42.
Another Boston pilgrimage is over. After months of solo running you are in the spotlight, local people support is unbelievable, that makes Boston unique to me. But the course and the weather made me suffer the way Boston can make you suffer. Still I loved being there and happy with the effort, I gave it all. Crossed the line in 3:22:42, 49 of 1085 on my age group.
My plan was to run a medium-hard effort for the first 16 miles, push hard on the hills, next 5 miles, and empty the tank on the Boston downhill, last 5 miles. I think the execution was there, 4:30 m/k pace + /- 5 sec, heart rate at 142 – 145 (about 85- 87% MHR), controlled breathing, spot on nutrition, 6 gels, electrolytes every hour. I tried to stay relaxed to mile 16, and mentally prepared to push on the hills. First one went fine, at the end of the second hill, got a cramp on one hamstring. When this happens so early in the race, 7 miles to finish, it’s time for me to change gears and go in survival mode. Keep the cadence but reduce stride length, walking breaks in water stations, small goals to keep mind engaged. It’s a tradition to complaining about the weather in Boston, and on my 4th Boston, this was the “best” I got.
At the end, I want to share a tip for future Boston participants. Best way to get to start is to drive to South st parking in Hopkinton instead of boarding the bus in Boston and standing hours at “athlete village” in Hopkinton before the start. This way you can relax in your car and take the shuttle about 45 min to start. It’s the quickest way and saves a lot of energy.
Emma Griffin ran the Boston Marathon with a finishing time of 3:52:00.
After all the hard work building up to this race my time is still disappointing. But I’m still proud I carried on, finished and experienced this unique marathon.
Jordan Nimlos ran the Boston Marathon and finished with a time of 3:37:33.
I was injured 2 weeks before the marathon and still struggling to run even the day before the race, yet I was able to finish with only minimal residual soreness and pain on race day, and still finished in what I think most would consider a respectable marathon time.
