April 16, 2012 - One Red Grape

Kenneth Williams

You could see it coming: An early spring heat wave, making its way from the Great Plains eastward across the central United States. The unseasonable weather spared neither north nor south as it baked its way across the country. With only a week to go before the start of the 116th Boston Marathon, BAA warnings began arriving for registered runners. Faced with an ominous forecast, race officials warned: “Only the fittest runners should attempt the marathon,” causing me to introspect, at age 70 and just weeks removed from Melanoma surgery, how I could possibly be in that ‘fittest’ group. However, the chance to lengthen my streak of consecutive Boston Marathon finishes to ten overrode any conservative decision to defer or postpone. So, at 10:40 a.m. on Patriots Day, when the gun went off in Hopkinton for my starting wave, once again, I struck out on foot for Boston.

2012 – Dancer in a Heat Wave: Pain, Agony, and Distress on the Road to Boston

Kate Stanton

When I first set out with the intention of running the Boston Marathon for the Alzheimer’s Association in memory of my dear grandfather, I had some idea of the challenges I would face in my training and fundraising. Some, but not all.

Let's just say the next time a dancer tells you she wants to run a marathon, you should give her a hearty chuckle, accompanied by a very sarcastic “Well, good luck!” While many running enthusiasts regard routine stretching as a necessity for maintaining a functioning body, hypermobility (as they so kindly diagnosed me) is just about as detrimental as not stretching at all.

Without giving you the full rundown of ailments I acquired as part of my training for my first marathon, I’ll leave you with this image of former dancer turned long distance runner:

2012 – Foregoing the race, and embracing the experience

Kristy Campbell

I truly believe anything is possible, if you want it badly enough. For me, qualifying for (and running!) the Boston Marathon was a big dream for many, many years. I’m sure people thought I was crazy talking about BQ’ing when I was still hours (yes, hours) away from my BQ time. But Boston was always in the back of my mind during every marathon.

It took me nine marathons to qualify for Boston. I ran my first marathon, the 2004 Marine Corps Marathon, in 5:12. Over the next seven years, I chipped away at my marathon finish time, slowly, and with lots of hard work, determination, and a little luck. In September 2011, after an incredible training cycle, I knew I could BQ. I ran the Lehigh Valley Marathon and crossed the finish line in 3:43:46. I was finally a Boston Qualifier! I had dreamed about this day for years, and the dream had finally come true.

2012 - "I was too dehydrated to even cry..."

Amy Ballard

For years I wanted to just qualify for Boston. Unlike some novice runners who say they have never heard of the race, running Boston has been my strong desire ever since my first marathon back in 2006.

After taking nearly three years off from marathons to have my two babies, I resumed my qualifying efforts, and was fortunate enough to become eligible on my next three tries. But then came the change in the registration process, and I was very uncertain if a four minute cushion would be enough. Luckily, and by God’s grace, it was!

While on vacation, I received news that Boston notifications had been sent. However, having no cell phone signal brought even longer suspense, while we drove out of the mountains waiting to get cell phone reception. Finally, I received the long awaited news: I had gotten into the 2012 Boston Marathon! Training schedules were made and travel plans set. I was going to Boston.

Little did I know that a heat wave would hit Boston on April 16th.

2012 – Record Hot Weather Provides A Different Experience

David Meier

If you ever wonder how weather affects people’s moods, look no further than the 2012 Boston Marathon. For those not aware, Marathon Monday in 2012 was one of the hottest on record with temperatures near 90 degrees by the end of the race.

If you’re a tourist, this beach-like weather was a real treat, since April is typically cold, wet and windy. However, if you’re running, you would prefer July temperatures to take their proper place in line and come much later in the year. Either way, what was striking to me was the difference in how the city presented itself under these conditions compared to previous years.

On my first Boston Marathon trip in 2010, my experience was most of the people we encountered on race weekend were crabby, rude and even belligerent. In previous years, the race seemed to present more of an inconvenience to the locals than an opportunity to showcase their city.