Any Boston Marathoners Here?

[john_pifer]

At 38, I'm finally feeling like I'm at the point where I'm capable of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. In recent years, I've wanted to try, but have had overuse injuries that have limited my running.

At this point, I'm feeling good. Feeling pretty strong and fast (that is, relative to past years). Nothing's hurting too bad, and I've worked my way up to around 35-45 running miles per week. I'll need to up that mileage, going forward, however.

I'll make my first attempt, likely, some time in December. Possibly at the Rocket City Marathon, in Huntsville, AL. on December 3. If I miss that attempt, I'll still have all the way up to September 2019 to qualify.

I'll be 40 on the day of the race in 2020, so I'll need to finish my qualifying race in 3 hrs. 15 min. at most. But, in reality, that won't be good enough. I'll almost certainly need a "cushion" of at least 5 minutes. So, the goal will be to get as close to 3 hrs. as possible, but no more than 3:10, in order to maximize my chances of getting in. Even if I'm able to come in at 3:10 or under, there's still no guarantee I'd get in. It just depends on how many people enter.

I run with a guy who missed it by 1 second. That's right - one second.

 

[skyactiv]

I've always wanted to try a half marathon. I was a decent sprinter, but wasn't so good at cross country in high school track.

 

[StevieC]

My brother and his wife do it every year. Good luck with your run!

 

[aquariuscsm]

My sister goes all over the country participating in marathons. She's 52 and does them like it's nothing. She keep trying to talk me into going on one with her

 

[JLawrence08648]

Depending on you, I would not do a marathon unless I can do a 15-18 mile run and then go home and cut the grass and work in the yard.

 

[Number_35]

Wow, I envy you being that fast - I completed 13 marathons back in the day, and running Boston was a dream, but I was never anywhere near fast enough. My best was a 3:44 @ Twin Cities in the early '90s. That was before timing chips, and I didn't cross the start line for several minutes, so I guess it was more like a 3:40. In any case, I was nowhere near fast enough for my age at the time to qualify for Boston.

Good luck, I hope you make it!

 

[FFeng7]

I have always wanted to run the Boston Marathon. I have done a couple of other marathon's but never even close to being fast enough to qualify for Boston. I had a good friend that has ran it twice and his advice was make sure you train for running hills. He said that Boston had a few good hills on the course that he wasn't prepared for.

 

[john_pifer]

I’m not fast enough yet. My half marathon PR is 1:37, Nashville, 2017. I’ll have to run faster than that to BQ. Around 7:10 to a max of 7:15/mile for 26.2 Miles.

 

[gfh77665]

I could not run around the block without breathing hard, but, even at age 55 I can still lift small automobiles, LOL.