Is there anything that can beat Boston marathon week?

When it comes to celebrations of running, is the Boston Marathon the best?

On paper there is nothing exceptional about the Boston marathon. Sure, it’s old. And that means there is a lot of history and many traditions that imbue the event with a deep patina. It’s not easy to get into. But then so many races are hard to obtain a place for - London might not have a qualifying time, but 840,000 people hoping for one of perhaps 12,000 places is, according to many people I know, as difficult as trying to run a BQT (Boston Qualifying Time). And the Boston course has some undeniable qualities - the point-to-point straight line and those infamous hills. But New York has hills. And in London runners pass the King’s official residence as well as many world famous landmarks.

And yet despite all this, the Boston marathon is undeniably special. I’m writing this on my third day in the city, with the race just about 24 hours away from starting. I can tell you that the vibes here are dialled up to 11 and arguably beyond. And I’ve been wondering why. Because this sort of energy lifts running to a whole new level.

Before I get to why I think Boston is so special, let me explain what I mean about energy levels and why I think that is important.

Running often suffers from a lack of pizzazz. Outside of events like the Olympics, perhaps the World Athletics Championships and some really high profile races like the World Marathon Majors or the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, the sport of running rarely inflames the passions of people beyond it’s hardcore fans (and even amongst its hardcore fans in many cases). And it is perhaps because of this lack of excitement that more people don’t feel drawn to the activity. Watch children in a playground and they will play soccer, baseball or cricket far more readily than they will set up an impromptu foot race (although, of course that does also happen). These same children will have the names of their team sports heroes tripping off their tongues far more readily than they will the participants in the latest Diamond League 5,000m race. Young fans of soccer will dream of a team jersey with their favourite player’s name emblazoned across the back for Christmas. That happens less rarely when it comes to a race singlet with a track athletes name as decoration.

But here in Boston, it feels as though everyone is excited about the big race on Patriots Day (tomorrow). The area around Boyleston and Newbury Streets is awash with brand pop-ups, shakeout runs, massive queues for coffee as well as tourists and locals alike meeting and greeting one another and chatting about the up coming activities. And there is at the same time an unofficial trade convention happening as all the brands come together like Blue Whales drawn to huge sholes of krill. This must be the closest thing running has to carnival.

So why here? Well, I think the answer is of the chicken-and-egg variety. I’ve been to Boston a few times out of marathon weekend and the number of runners is absolutely astonishing. My friend Amory Rowe, who will be running the marathon tomorrow, tells me that there is always a vibrant running scene here. Margaret Coogan, who features in the Metropolitan Times newspaper we have create in collaboration with our friends at Tracksmith (pick up a free copy at their Trackhouse on Newbury Street if you’re here for the race) said the same thing. Is that because of the marathon? Or is the marathon here because of the passion of the people for running? I couldn’t begin to guess.

Instead, I will just revel in the atmosphere of positivity, some nerves and a lot of love for running. Oh, and hang out with my new friend Bill Rodgers, who I bumped into in a coffee shop on Newbury Street. As you do!

Simon

Simon Freeman
LtW Publisher and fanboy of legendary marathoners