Two weeks ago, I finished the Boston Marathon for the 4th time!

It was a tough one. Even Accuweather, in the days leading up to the race, said in its forecast “great day for baseball. Warm for the marathon.” Um…. yes. At 73 degrees and sunny, it was the hottest Boston I have run, including in 2019 when the weather got a lot warmer than originally expected. Reports of a tailwind were also greatly exaggerated, in my opinion!

But I finished and while I didn’t hit my goal time, I did BQ by a pretty significant margin and ran my 2nd fastest Boston time!

Here is my recap of the 2024 Boston Marathon.

My Boston weekend actually started off pretty shitty. We drove up from Maryland (yes, we drive because my husband and I both hate the ordeal of flying and we have more control over our schedule this way) the Saturday before the race. Before we left, I asked him if he had everything he needed for his C-PAP, as he’s an awful snorer and has forgotten it before. He insisted he did. Guess what? We got to our hotel and he’d forgotten the power cord, and it’s a very specific one that you can’t just pick up anywhere. To say I was angry was an understatement. Almost immediately I booked him his own room for Sunday night, because how tf was I supposed to sleep with him snoring like a freight train the night before a marathon? No regrets. Yeah, it was extra money, but a good night’s sleep is priceless!

Sunday was a nicer day. We saw the Red Sox game and I got to reconnect with one of my old editors from my Capital days. I felt a lot more relaxed.

Woke up on Marathon Monday feeling well-rested and ready! Got to Boston Common and on my bus to Hopkinton with no drama, though the bus driver messed up and just dropped us off right at the start rather than in Athlete’s Village. It was just as well — I love the walk from the Village to the start, but I was also psyched to not have to walk that 3/4 of a mile before a marathon! I saw my friend Kurt from Instagram and he told me he was happy about the warm sunny weather as a Southern Californian (famous last words!) I was also pumped to see Carissa walking to our corrals and Jess in my corral! Seeing familiar faces definitely helped me chill out.

Although Highway to Hell was playing as I walked to my corral, which I thought was quite the choice right before a marathon. Turns out it was very appropriate!

My goal going into the race was a 3:15, though my recent 1:29 half indicated I could be a few minutes faster. Still, I knew that would be tough with the warm weather. I was trying not to push the pace too much in the first few miles, which are mostly downhill. Was mostly between 7:35-7:40 pace for the first 6 miles, then dropped down to 7:30ish through mile 10. The sun was out and I felt a slight breeze here and there, but not much of one! Again, did anyone feel the tailwind we were maybe supposed to get? The crowds through Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham and Natick seemed bigger and louder than last year, probably because of the great spectating (not running 😆) weather. I was grabbing Gatorade from every aid station, but the heat didn’t feel too bad quite yet.

Heading into Wellesley, my favorite part of the race, I felt strong and continued to run in the 7:30s. I thought if I kept that up (big if) I could at least squeak out a course PR (sub-3:19:53.)

I heard the screams from the Wellesley Scream Tunnel at least 3/4 of a mile away. The Wellesley College women were on fire this year with their “Kiss Me” signs, and I high-fived so many of them and saw some dudes kiss a lot of them, too! This section of the race really pumped me up and had me smiling for the next mile.

At this point, the race was halfway over and the hardest part was still to come.

After passing through the Scream Tunnel and the town of Wellesley, which was lined with spectators, we headed toward the infamous Newton Hills. I was definitely starting to get pretty hot so I was grabbing either Gatorade or water to drink and then dumping water on my head. Some spectators were passing out popsicles and I wanted one so badly, but didn’t know what my stomach would do. I was successfully getting down my gels — and I didn’t lose any this year!! — so I was happy about that.

Mile 14: 7:37
Mile 15: 7:46
Mile 16: 7:28 (mostly downhill)

Around mile 17, when the uphills really begin, the race started to get harder especially with the blazing sun. My pace dropped into the 7:50s for the next few miles until I reached Heartbreak Hill, which broke my heart this year! I clocked an 8:35 mile for mile 21, my slowest of the race. But seeing another Instagram friend, Jude, on the side of the road cheering was definitely a bright spot! By the time we got to the top, the crowds were extremely enthusiastic and I wanted to high five some drunk college kids, but didn’t have the energy!

The rest of the marathon after Heartbreak is relatively flat, but of course after 21 miles of downhills and uphills, your quads are pretty trashed. Mine certainly were!

After you summit Heartbreak Hill, you’re in the home stretch — just about 5 miles to go! To be honest, this section of the race was a bit of a blur for me. It was hot. I was really thirsty. I started walking through the aid stations and drinking two cups of water or Gatorade, plus pouring water on my head. (An aside, the volunteers at Boston are the absolute best of the best!!!) I felt like I was slowing to a crawl, but I ran mile 22 in 7:45. Mile 22 is also where I tripped and fell and skinned my knee two years ago, so I’m always careful on that stretch of road!

The crowds got thicker and louder as I ran through Brookline and they truly carried me through those later miles.

Mile 23 — 8:14
Mile 24 — 7:57
Mile 25 — 8:01

At mile 25, you run past Fenway Park and the infamous Citgo sign. I’ve NEVER gotten a photo of myself with the Citgo sign and was really hoping this would be the year! Sadly, it was not. I ran on the right side of the road and everything, but the Marathon Foto photog wasn’t even looking up when I ran past 😭 One of these years!

With about a half mile to go, I saw my husband! He later said I looked really strong, but I certainly didn’t feel that way! Then it was time to go right on Hereford, left on Boylston. (Mile 26: 8:08)

Once you turn onto Boylston, you can see the finish line, but it always feels so far away. I was torn between wanting to soak it all in and also just wanting to finish. I had no idea what my finish time was going to be; in fact, I wasn’t even looking at my watch the last few miles. I knew I wasn’t getting a PR or even a course PR, but thought I’d squeak in under 3:25.

And I did: My official time was 3:24:26. It wasn’t as fast as I’d hoped for, but it was the absolute best I had to give and I was happy. I also BQ’d for 2025 by more than 15 minutes. It honestly took me years to break 3:30 in the marathon, so I really can’t be upset about 3:24 on a hot day and a hard course.

See you next year, Boston!

What’s Next?

Um…. let’s run another marathon? Like, this weekend?

Some of you may remember that for Christmas, my husband signed me up for a “bonus” spring marathon in a surprise location. It is this Saturday in Ohiopyle, PA! It is a marathon that will basically be the opposite of Boston. Just a few hundred finishers (and that actually includes a half marathon, 10K, and 5K), double out and back, I get to stay basically 100 feet from the start/finish for not that much money. But I am really excited! I have pretty much no clue how it’s going to go. I could be faster than I was in Boston. I could run a 3:15! Or…. it could be a total dumpster fire. Who the hell knows!

But that’s kind of the fun of the marathon, right?