April 21, 2014 - Third time's the charm!

Chris Teachout

My Boston Marathon story starts on January 4th, 2011. That was the day I weighed in for “The Biggest Loser” challenge at work, and I tipped the scale at 300 pounds. That’s the most I have ever weighed in my life. At the time, I could barely walk three miles without stopping.

I spent the next nine months walking faster and farther, until September of that year, when I signed up for a 10K race. I tied for last place, but I finished, and was bitten by the running bug.

I then set my sights for Boston. I trained all winter, and when the day finally came to run, the temperature hit 90 degrees. At mile 16, I decided no good was going to come from pushing on, so I decided to “live to run another day”. Completely unsatisfied with the results of my first marathon, I immediately signed up for one in New Hampshire that fall. That marathon I completed, my first ever, in the pouring rain.

April 15, 1996: A continuous clap and a constant roar

Joe Muldowney

On April 15, 1996, the world’s oldest marathon was about to become the world’s largest marathon.

But it wasn’t going to be easy.

The northeastern United States had experienced its snowiest winter on record, and simply because the calendar read “April” meant little to Mother Nature, who pursued her relentless polar assault into the middle of the month.

On April 10th, fifteen inches of snow fell on Hopkinton. Heavy rains continued for the remainder of the week, turning the grounds around the Hopkinton Middle School into a soupy quagmire.

2011 - "Buddy, you are a WINNAH!"

Brad Box

There are days in our lives we know our family and friends will mention at our funerals. Today is one of those days for me.

The Boston Marathon experience is so incredible I could write 20 pages about it (and probably will at some point). There is one critical point I want to share now.

The race went just as I had planned. I was able to stay dead on an 8:00 minute pace through 30k, even with three bathroom pit stops. At 30k, I felt great and started obsessing about running well below a 3:30. That goal became all-consuming for several miles. I looked at my watch constantly. The race suddenly became all about me and my finish time.

2009 - "Run with endurance the race set before us…"

Brad Box

On Sunday night before THE MARATHON, I set the alarm in the hotel for 5:20 eastern time, got a wake up call, and set the alarm on my BlackBerry. I slept surprisingly well....

But I still woke before five (which is before four at home). I meticulously set out all my gear on Sunday night. Much the way I did before Chicago, I spent the first hour of the morning quietly, almost ritualistically putting together my gear and packing everything into the bright yellow Boston Marathon "drop bag" while prayerfully meditating about this run. I sent my daily text, and as I have done with every race, I sent Hebrews 12:1-3

¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ²fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

2000 - Choosing to run rather than drive the bus

Billy Pearlman

In April of 2000 a relationship began. A runner fell in love with a city.

Back in the summer of 1989, after doing some hiking in the Green Mountains, my cousin and I took in a Saturday afternoon game at Fenway Park. It was my first look at the city, but only a five hour stop over. I could feel the "thunderbolt" coming, but I had not quite fallen in love (yet).

Having raced bicycles most of my youth, I transitioned to running in 1998 at the age of 39. Richmond was my second marathon and qualified me for Boston. I had intended and expected to better the time requirement. However, once I qualified I did not take this accomplishment for granted, and was thrilled about running Boston the following spring. And really excited when told of the reception I would receive at Wellesley College!

1997 - “I love Boston, Boston loves me”

John (Big Foot) Aikin

My first Boston was in 1997. I had tried hard to qualify so I could run the 100th anniversary Boston Marathon in 1996. I did three marathons in December 1995, trying to qualify, and missed by several minutes each time.

The final attempt was the "Last Chance Marathon" in Tampa, a one-time marathon set up as one last opportunity to qualify for the 100th. It was a three mile loop in a park that you had to run nine times. I got dizzy and didn’t make the cut.

I was able to qualify the next year at the Blue Angel Marathon in Pensacola. I didn’t realize I had run a qualifying time; someone had to tell me the day after the race. I have run Boston every year since, except in 2009, but more on that later…

1996 - "What an experience!" With 38,707 other runners for the 100th race!

Dave DeVaughn

I ran my first marathon in Chicago in 1992. That race started me on an addiction that would last through 17 marathons over five years. I was never a speed demon, so the marathon seemed to be my race. Everybody who runs a marathon dreams of qualifying for and running the Boston Marathon.

I was living in Corinth, Mississippi, and training with Harvey Pendergrast and Phil Hinton. We ran a couple of marathons together. Then I started training some with Kenneth Williams. Kenneth and I went on to run several marathons together. But in late 1994, I moved to Ft. Wayne, Indiana, away from all my running partners. I learned how tough it is to run in the Midwest in the winter without encouragement, but I was addicted.

I qualified for Boston at the 1995 Glass City Marathon in Toledo, Ohio. This was my 11th marathon, and I broke my PR by 12 minutes. I knew the 1996 Boston would be Number 100, and was going to be big. No way was I going to miss it! I ran three more marathons in 1995: Tupelo, Detroit, and Memphis.