What’s blue and yellow and 26.2 miles? Yep, that’s right, the Boston Marathon!

I found out last spring that the Boston Marathon was taking place in October for 2021 instead of the traditional Patriot’s Day in April (due to Covid). The timing of this race was perfect for me not only because I wouldn’t have to train through the winter which isn’t impossible but would have been hard for me; but I was looking for an anniversary run since October 2020 was a time of tremendous grief for me when I found out that I would lose my son Oliver at 22 weeks pregnant. I wanted to run in his honor the following year and since Boston Children’s Hospital was an important part of my pregnancy, it felt right to raise money for them throughout my training for the marathon. It was also an opportunity for me to run this iconic marathon without having to qualify which isn’t something I have ever trained for. 

I have run one marathon before in what feels like a previous life when I lived in the UK and hoping over to Paris was as easy as getting on a train for the weekend. It was a spring marathon and although I had a fun experience, I didn’t think it was a distance I ever needed to run again. However, running, as most of you can sympathize with, is a tool for overcoming stress, grief, and just about anything negative. Have a crappy day? Go run and you’ll usually feel better. I realize that I’m preaching to the choir here. 

I grieved hard and took it out on the trails, roads, and miles. It makes the grief manageable most days. 

Okay, more about the race which I know a number of you have done before. 

1. It’s enormous….especially after being in Vermont seclusion for the last year or so of Covid. I underestimated the size of this thing and there were some seriously fit people there. Plus Boston gets all dressed up for this event which was just awesome.
2. If I thought that Facebook group for runners was competitive, the atmosphere around the Marathon expo and the bus loading to Hopkinton was thick with competition. Everyone was super friendly but marathon runners have their rituals and mindsets (keep in mind I’m more of a trail and Upper Valley Running Series kind of gal). 
3. There were 7,500 volunteers and just over 15,000 runners on race day. That’s almost 2 runners to every volunteer who were extraordinarily nice…like super nice. There were also thousands of police and security which made me feel incredibly safe…? 
4. I had an amazing fan club who came to cheer me on and I saw them all around mile 24 (ish). I got the impression from all the fans, including mine that watching this race is just as emotional as running it. Again, I’m not a regular marathon runner but it seemed like this was another special Boston Marathon thing like the Wellesley girls (who are also amazing)! 
5. The wide open four-lane roads of the course are just as challenging as the 4 “hills” between miles 16-21. I underestimated that after a summer of running on many narrow dirt roads. Heartbreak Hill is nothing compared to the hills we all run around here but at mile 20, it hurts and the downhill after that is only fun because of the cheering and not because it’s downhill. 

Boston Children’s Hospital raised $2.2 million from the 125th Boston Marathon and I’m really proud that some of you contributed to that effort through my fundraising. I’m so incredibly thankful for this opportunity and for you!