Boston or Bust!

Growing up in New Jersey, you hear a lot about the New York Marathon.  Heck, even if you don't grow up in or around that area, you still hear a lot about it.  To those outside of the running world, the New York Marathon may seem like the holy grail of running.  To those acquainted with the running world, that holy grail is the Boston Marathon, and that's where I'm (hopefully) headed!

So why is the Boston Marathon such an event?  Well, I'm sure there are many right answers to this, but here's why it matters to me.  Qualifying for Boston sort of symbolizes that you've "arrived" in the running world; it means you're a strong runner.  Unlike many marathons where you just pay your money and you get a spot, Boston isn't like that.  You've got to show that you're worthy of it by qualifying via another marathon and meeting (or exceeding) certain time requirements based on age & gender.

Here's a great excerpt from an article on Active.com: "Qualifying for the prestigious Boston Marathon is the goal of many who run marathons. It's an honor, like qualifying for the Olympic trials, but one that's reachable by those of us who aren't professional runners. 

Qualifying for Boston is a big debate among runners of all demographics and abilities. Some believe older runners have an advantage while others believe women have the advantage. In a recent study by Jim Fortner, only 10.4 percent of marathon finishers achieved their Boston qualifying time. However, more people qualify in different age groups. For example, the number of women ages 45 to 49 who qualify is 14.5 percent. The number of men ages 65 to 69 who qualify is 17 percent, while only 7.9 percent of men and women age 34 and younger qualify. Boston qualifiers (also known as BQs) are not biased against men or women, and they certainly aren't biased against older runners."

I came close to qualifying for Boston when I did the Rock-n-Roll marathon in New Orleans with Suzanne.  How close?  84 seconds away.  Does it suck to be that close & yet that far at the same time?  Of course!  Had I not done the 6 hour ultra just two weeks before New Orleans, could I have gotten the time of 3 hours and 40 minutes that I needed?  Probably.  So this time around, there will be no 6 hour races close to the marathon.  Mark your calendars for October 25th!  I'll be running the Marine Corps Marathon and, hopefully, earning my BQ there!