April 15, 2013 – Left or right? A seemingly minor decision leads me away from danger

David Meier

[In 2013, David Meier cruised through his fourth consecutive Boston Marathon in 3:23:10, finishing in the upper half of his age group. Here he offers an introspective look at what happened next…]

Left or right? That was the choice we faced as we exited the Westin Copley Square that beautiful April afternoon. I had just finished the 2013 Boston Marathon and was feeling pretty good about myself. I was starving, so I said to my wife “Let’s go this direction away from the crowds.” So just a few hundred yards from the finish line, we turned away and headed down Dartmouth Street.

And there it was – a boom that stopped everyone in their tracks. People stood in the street and looked around, while cars blew their horns at the confused pedestrians.

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.