The weather was brutal. I don’t remember ever being so cold. - Mark Davidhizar (April 20, 2015)

Mark Davidhizar

Weather-wise this was one of the most miserable experiences of my life; but at the same time, Boston 2015 was one of the best experiences of my life.

But before talking about race day, what a great weekend it was in Boston! So much to do, no doubt about it, though we didn’t do or see it all. First off, I would like to say “thank you” to Meghan Irvine and her family for allowing us to stay at their house. Despite the fact we had to stay in a boy’s room with a bunch of Red Sox/Patriots stuff, it was comfortable and a lot cheaper than a hotel.

After a late arriving flight into Boston Friday night, Tina and I woke up early and drove a little over an hour into Boston for the BAA 5k. The weather was a perfect day for the 5k. Wish we got the same weather on Marathon Monday, but that’s another story… I was able to see Tina at a couple of locations on the course.  I also saw Sean Astin running the 5k. After Tina completed her impressive PR 5k, we made our way to the expo, stopping on the way for some quick pictures taken at the finish line.

April 21, 2014 - #863 at the Start, # 865 at the End

Grant Stieglitz

The first time I ran Boston was back in 2013, and I was 28 at the time. I had a qualifying time of 2:46:46 when I ran the Kona Marathon on June 24, 2012. I then ran a marathon on October 7th in Findlay, Ohio, called Red, White, and Blue 26.2, which I also won with a new best time of 2:45:31. I used that improved time to qualify for Boston. My goals are usually to not only improve my times, but also run a marathon under three hours in all 50 States plus the District of Columbia. Massachusetts became State #8 for me on my marathon journey.

I was a bit nervous as we were getting ready to start, but I told myself, “Stay calm, take one mile at a time, and to use your head.” As soon as the gun went off and I crossed the starting line, I told myself the same exact quote over and over again so my nerves won’t act up. After crossing the first few miles, I felt pretty good and kept my rhythm going. I even told myself to be patient; this wasn’t a sprint, this was a marathon.

2013 - "It took 38 marathons: five years and four months for my Boston dream to become reality"

Michelle Walker,
"Mom o' 6"

Do you have a bucket list? Do you have goals to check off? For five and a half years, my big dream was to qualify for the Boston Marathon. The Boston Marathon is the mecca for many long distance runners. The race has a rich history. Having to qualify with a time from a previous marathon creates an exclusive environment. This race is the big badge of honor in the marathon world. The exclusive entry is coveted by most long distance runners. When I ran my very first marathon in Phoenix, Arizona, I thought this would be an easy goal to check off. I knew with the proper training, I could accomplish this goal.

As I stepped up to the starting line of the 2007 PF Chang’s RnR Marathon, I was very hopeful I could qualify. I had never run a marathon before, but I have always been a hard worker. I knew I had put in the proper training to earn a spot at the starting line. Thanks to the encouragement from one of my fellow travelers, I was even confident I could achieve my Boston Marathon time goal.