With just days to go until the 117th running of the Boston Marathon there is a certain excitement in the air around Boston. Every runner I know is talking about the race, their past experiences with it or their anticipation of this year’s run.

Marathon Fever is here!

At this time last year we were all watching the weather by the hour and hoping for the best. As Patriot’s Day grew closer the various forecasters converged on the opinion that race day was going to be hot, the only question was how hot. It turned out to be the hottest marathon day on record.

Here is the current forecast for Marathon Weekend.

Most runners prefer temps in the high 40s to low 50s and I think Marathon Monday is looking pretty good. When the race gets started it will probably be in the low to mid 50s and you may feel a bit chilly in the corrals. You should either wear a trash bag or bring a shirt that you can throw away. They do collect dis-carded clothing and donate it to local groups.

Do you know the way to Boston?

For you runners, here is a link to the BAA’s course maps. The elevation map looks more detailed than previous versions. If you bump up the display to 200 or 400% you can really see a lot of detail. If this is your first Boston take a few minutes to study this map. On my first run I was surprised to find hills early in the race. Everyone said it was basically flat or down hill. Not so. They’re not big hills but you will want to know about them so that you can plan accordingly.

Some people drive the race route, walk it or run it. Having some familiarity with the course can be helpful. No one wants a surprise on race day. If you cannot go out on the course, spend some time looking over these maps.

I’ve run The Boston Marathon several times. The hills are like old friends and it’s a contentious relationship!

Going Green

The BAA is making efforts to go green. They have used paper cups every time I have run and they will probably continue. They have cut down on their mailings and I think most people registered on-line. At the end of the race they will have separate bins for trash, recyclables and compostable materials such as banana peels.

You will get a Mylar blanket with the BAA logo on it at the end of the race. Most of them get tossed but I think they look sharp and make a great keep sake. You can always fold it up, put an elastic band around it and put it in the trunk of your car to have for an emergency. It will keep you warm if your car breaks down on a cold morning on the way to work.

I just know someone out there has a creative idea to turn these blankets into something cool. There will be thousands of them stuffed into trash barrels all around the finish area.

The BAA is going half way and making it easy for you to make wise decisions. It is now up to you, the Marathon Runner, to go the other half way and utilize the green options that have been made available to you. You don’t have to be a tree huger or crunchy granola to understand the value of a clean environment. You are a runner, you relay on the environment for your sport.

Have a great race! I’m getting excited just writing about it!

Cheers,

Andy