Chasing Boston: My Marathon Quest
Why Qualifying for the Boston Marathon Means So Much
Understanding the Boston Marathon Dream
What is the Boston Marathon?
My current big goal is to qualify for the Boston Marathon. If you don’t know what that means, here’s a quick explanation:
The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon and one of the most prestigious road racing events in the world. The first Boston Marathon took place in 1897! Click here to read more about the race and its history if you want to know more.
The Qualification Process
In order to qualify for the Boston Marathon you must first run a marathon (sanctioned by USA Track & Field) under a certain qualifying time based on your gender and age. I’m currently 49, so my qualifying time is 3 hours and 50 minutes, which equates to an overall pace of 8:45/mile.
However it doesn’t end there. Not everyone who runs a qualifying time is guaranteed to get in. There is a limit to the total number of allowed registrants for the Boston Marathon due to the capacity of the course.
There is a qualifying window each year during which the qualifying marathon must be run. That window runs through mid-September. (This means I have until then to run a qualifying time in order to be eligible to register for the 2025 Boston Marathon.)
In September, the marathon will open for registration. During this time, anyone who ran a qualifying time within the window and who wants to run the Boston Marathon will submit their intent to register. At this point the race organizers will determine how many people want to race and compare that to the total number of spots available (generally around 30,000).
Most years there are more than 30,000 runners who have qualified. So the race organizers then have to do some math to figure out the cutoff point to allow the fastest 30,000 runners to register.
This means that you can run a qualifying time, but still not be able to register for the race. There have been some years where everyone got in, some years where the cutoff was a few seconds, and other years where it has been up to 7 minutes.
Last year the cutoff was 5 minutes and 29 seconds and over 11,000 runners who ran a qualifying time and wanted to register for the marathon were unable to. This means that while my qualifying time is technically 3:50, I likely need at least a 3:45 or possibly even faster to actually get into the race next April
My Dream of Boston
Some people are able to qualify for the Boston Marathon the first time they try. Others won’t ever run the type of paces required to get into Boston without a charity or fundraising slot. And many people (like me), find the paces to be on the edge of our ability, and have stories of many attempts to qualify.
I have long been fascinated with the idea of the Boston Marathon. It has felt like a “bucket list” item for me. Something that I have always wanted to do, but didn’t feel capable of achieving.
As I’ve become a better athlete and gotten older (which means slower qualifying times), the goal has felt a bit more achievable, but still a big scary goal that will take a lot of effort and belief to achieve.
Next year I turn 50 in December. I’m planning a “jubilee year” where I will be celebrating the milestone all year by doing big epic things I have long dreamed of. My goal and my vision includes running the Boston Marathon during my jubilee year.
My Previous Boston Attempts
I first attempted to qualify for the Boston Marathon in 2019 at the Eugene Marathon. It was only my second open marathon. In that year, my qualifying time was 3:45. I had a great training block leading up to the event and ran the marathon in 3:44:53 (with 7 seconds to spare).
I remember so vividly how much those last few miles hurt and how hard I was pushing in the last 800 meters to come in under the time limit.
I was simultaneously proud and disappointed. I ran a qualifying time, but I knew that it wouldn’t be enough to actually be able to register for the race (which wouldn’t have happened anyway with the pandemic and my pelvic fracture that would happen that November). But - I know I can do it. I have done it before.
A lot has happened since then. I fractured my pelvis in a bike accident in November of 2019 and that recovery was much longer and more complicated than I expected.
I also had the severe ankle injury in the Kona Ironman World Championships last October. For those unfamiliar, this was also a “Dream Goal”, and the injury was a significant setback in my training journey.
My body is truly just now feeling stronger and steadier than it has in years.
I’ve also been diagnosed with osteoporosis since that time. This is another lasting effect of 25+ years of disordered eating. One of the radiologists who read my pelvic fracture x-ray suggested that I get my bone density checked and sure enough - I’ve got osteoporosis. (Thank God that fracture wasn’t any worse and that I didn’t actually break anything in Kona!)
My second Boston attempt was at the Eugene Marathon (again!) just two months ago at the end of April. I shared about it in these podcast episodes (spoiler alert - I didn’t qualify!):
Why Boston?
Someone recently asked me why I want to run the Boston Marathon and what it would mean to me. I told her that I’ve always wanted to run it and that without intentional thought I would make it mean that I was a “fast enough” runner.
After reflection though, I don’t want to achieve goals to feel “good enough”. I think I’ve been chasing that my whole life. And the reality is that no goal will ever create a feeling of “good enough” that doesn’t exist internally.
I want to achieve this goal to see what I can do. To see what is possible for me. To prove that I am capable of more than I realize. To expand my comfort zone. To learn how to do hard things. And to become the person that can achieve a goal that seems out of reach. And for who I will become along the way. With each step, each success and each failure along the way.
As I continue on this journey to qualify for the Boston Marathon, I'm reminded that we all have our own 'Boston' - that big, audacious goal that pushes us to our limits and beyond. It's not just about the destination, but about who we become along the way.
What’s Your Dream?
What is the big dream that you are pursuing right now? Who will you need to become to achieve it? I'd love to hear about your journey and the goals that inspire you to push beyond your comfort zone.
Share your story in the comments, or if you're feeling inspired, why not write about it and tag me? Let's create a community of dreamers and doers, supporting each other as we chase our 'Boston' dreams!
Good luck! Being from the area, I get why the Boston Marathon is THE marathon to run. It's you against all the other runners on a grueling route that tests all of your limits and possibilities. What other marathon throws in a hill at the end of a race to see how far you can push yourself (for those who don't know, it's called Heartbreak Hill)?
I grew up in the town next to the town it starts in, Hopkinton. The marathon is always on a Massachusetts holiday called "Patriot's Day" (not to be confused with the one of the same name to honor 9/11) so I always had the day off from school. This was spring cleaning closet day in my house because due to road closures and traffic, my mother didn't want to leave the house. So, I never saw the race until I became an adult and lived in an apartment right on the race route.
To stand along the road cheering and watching so many runners race by still gives me chills to this day decades later. The accomplishment is amazing even to watch. Unfortunately, there are sad times tied now to the Boston Marathon #BostonStrong, but the race and the continuing of the tradition shows how determined we all are in our own way. Best of luck! You've got what it takes!
I hope you are able to run Boston during your jubilee year! If not, then you no doubt will find other ways to celebrate.
Are you getting treatment for osteoporosis? The advancements in medications are amazing. I have a strong interest in this topic as my grandmother had severe osteoporosis. Both my aunts did too. My mother might have but never had a DEXA scan and died at age 75 due to heart problems likely brought on by a lifetime battle with obesity.
I broke my wrist in a standing height fall at age 60 - stupid accident involving a new rear seat bag on my bike. I had a previous diagnosis of osteopenia. When I asked my surgeon if it was heredity/osteopenia or physics he said "yes" and offered me a referral to the fracture clinic as women with wrist fractures like mine as very likely to have hip fractures in the 70s and 80s. Oh, hell no, I don't want that outcome. I had 12 months of Evenity injections to rebuild bone. That got my bone mass back up and thus far I'm stable with much more weight bearing (walking/hiking) exercise and regular strength training. I go for another DEXA in September.
As for my big goal for this summer, it is summiting, at least 1, if not 2, 14,000 ft mountains out in Colorado. Training is going well as I did a 17+ mile hike last week when I would out in Ohio for a conference. I did 65+ miles of trails over 6 days. So the legs and feet are ready. What I can't train for is the lack of oxygen.