Boston Marathon

Crowd support throughout the entire course

Stay patient on the downhills the first 16 miles, work and stay controlled on the hills during miles 17-21, crush the last 5.2 miles which is mostly downhill. Have fun and take in the race experience!

The expo went smoothly. Also loved that the B.A.A.sends out information through their app and push notifications. The first half of the course goes through some really quaint New England towns. And of course, the end after the right on Hereford and left on Boylston is electric energy. The one thing that I thought could be improved was the bus loading situation from Boston Commons. It took an hour and a half to get on a bus. By the time we arrived at athletes Village, my corral was already in place and almost ready to go. But besides that one minor complaint and everything else was spectacular!

Definitely listen to what everybody says about being conservative the first 4 miles so you can save your quads for the Newton Hills. If you do some proper Hill training beforehand, they are not that bad.

Spectators lined about 90% of this course. The cheering is a key part of the energy on race day in Boston Very well organized from expo to finish line.

You will not need your earbuds for music unless your aim is to drown out the cheering. I did not miss my playlist AT ALL.

Training on hills will give you the leg strength to hang on to your pace after the Newton hills section. Go out conservatively for first 10K. Boston rewards patience. Use this as a mantra.

If you need personalized cheering, write your name on the front of your shirt. You will hear your name shouted out a hundred times over 26 miles.

Jet Blue (official airline sponsor) gives you a free check-in bag for both your departing/returning flights.

Marathon Tours offers a full course preview drive on a coach bus. You go out to Hopkinton to see Athlete's village/Start line/corrals if you are a first timer and want these visual aids. They then drive the exact course and point out important sections through the finish on Boylston.

For the most part, this was a very well run marathon. The volunteers and organization is a well oiled machine. That said, you were only allowed to board the buses to Hopkinton based on for your wave. So although I got to the buses quite early I had to board along with the rest of the runners in my wave. Our bus got off the freeway, and continue to follow the other buses to Hopkinton. At some point, one of the buses took a wrong turn and our bus along with several others follow them. It took about 20 minutes to get us back on route and by the time we got off the bus there was no extra time to go to the bathroom and we had to run to the line. We ended up running over a half mile to the start and it was our time to start the race. Incredibly stressful and frustrating. I wish the race allowed for more of a cushion so that if there Any sort of snafu runners would still have the opportunity to use the bathroom at the very least. After spending four years and a lot of money to get to this place, I was surprised at the oversight.

Because the race doesn't allow the runners to arrive at athletes Village before their wave, I'm not sure what a runner could do to prevent this. I'm disappointed that the race didn't have some sort of way to ensure the buses were going the right way.

The bus ride is long so I would definitely use the bathrooms in Boston before boarding.

Not sure what happened, but the organization was off this year. Beginning with the expo, long lines for literally everything. Spent likely 20 minutes standing in line just to my bib. Have not seen that before. Expo was an absolute madhouse - could be due to the timing (not long after doors opened on Friday) - but people were literally shoving each other to get through the Adidas area. Not an enjoyable experience as in years past.

Bag drop is close to the finish, but a decent walk from the bus loading area. As mentioned, this is strictly for post-race as anything you take to Hopkinton will be left there (or on the course). Left my phone in my bag, which many folks do. Appeared to be only one entry into the bus area, which was on the north side of the Common (Beacon and Charles). This made for a bit of a mob scene getting through to the bus loading area in addition to a bit of a walk. I feel like there were more entry points in the past, but not sure. Good idea to use the bathroom here as opposed to post-bus ride, because you just don’t know how long it will take to get and there or how long the lines will be in the Village.

Waited in a very long line to board the bus. Have not seen that before either. Lengthy bus ride, maybe 40 minutes? Very nearly missed my start wave. Our bus also got semi-lost and dropped us off a ways away from Athlete's Village. We appeared to be headed further away and had to ask the driver to let us off. Again, lengthy walk to start area, which had me over 2 miles total before the race even started.

After that, all good. On course race support and volunteers were excellent. Crowd support was intense this year - perhaps more so because it was sunny and warm! Post-race support was excellent as well. Not too difficult to get to my bag and exit the area. I had somewhere to be, so I walked several blocks away and grabbed an Uber, which was quick and easy.

Random gripe: the legendary finisher's medal was cheap compared to recent years and "Bank of America" was etched right on the front. Unnecessary and off-brand for this race, which will outlive Bank of America. Everyone knows they took over this year, it need not be memorialized in the medal, which is about the achievement, not the sponsor. Fix that next year please.

No one likes a headwind, but the slight tailwind coupled with warm temps presented their own challenge. Most folks I've talked to had the same experience: full-on dripping with sweat by 4 miles. I required significantly more fluid than normal, but there are plenty of lengthy aid stations with ample room to get one or two drinks and keep pace. There is zero shade on the course, but there were numerous volunteers with sunscreen at the start area.

Boston is a big deal for nearly everyone out there. Accordingly, fellow runners can seem very self-involved. The majority are hyper-focused on the task at hand and that can be off-putting to first-timers who may be used to a more communal atmosphere. The B.A.A. volunteers are phenomenal, however, and this more than makes up for it. All seem genuinely excited for you and are eager to assist with anything. One upside of challenging conditions is connections made with other runners. Folks engage more with their comrades when the going gets tough and PR is off the table.

Try to book early to get the best rates, $500/night is about the best you can expect for a hotel in the areas you want to be. Parking, etc will add cost. The lines and logistical challenges this year added mileage and time, but, more importantly, made race day very stressful. Stay close to the start area to reduce the number of variables (and pre-race walking). Don't go to the expo right when it opens. Do find a club/store/company for a group shakeout on Saturday or Sunday. Book your Sunday night Italian feast in the North End early. Dozens of excellent places, but also 25,000 folks with friends and family looking to do the same thing. I'd say show up on Saturday and leave Tuesday.

The energy throughout the entire weekend is incredible. Everyone in the city is excited - runners and fans alike. Lots of lodging options - all very expensive, so factor that in. If possible, just make a weekend out of it, see a bunch of sights, and amortize the cost as a much-needed vacation.

You will see comments about the crowded start - which actually lasts about 10K. Honestly not much of an issue because you're moving with a pretty fast crowd (unlike other races where you may have to pick your way through for a while until you can set your own pace). Not a quad-smashing downhill like some of the western races, but enough to make you feel like a hero through 16 miles. The hills aren't as bad as people say, but they aren't insignificant either. IMO, Heartbreak is not actually the worst hill. You'll wanna hit the gas coming off HB - and you can for while, but then it gets into very slight rollers that are enough to prevent you from feeling too comfortable and gunning it in for the last 5. Unless you get paid to run - and happen to be winning the race - don't get too fixated on pace as your come into Brookline and Boston. Keep your head up, enjoy the crowds, soak it in - particularly as you make the turns onto Hereford and Boyleston. Intense and the high church of amateur running.

Recommend staying near Boston Common - close to bus loading and finish. Bag Check is there, but is of limited utility because anything you take on the bus (to Hopkinton) will not be returned. So, check your bag with whatever non-valuables you want immediately post-race, if you plan to celebrate in the area (which you should do).

26.2 mile block party with amazing crowd support! Aid stations were on point (Maurten and water and Gatorade)!

Watch the train tracks - saw a women go down hard.

The corrals were very crowed and the first mile was soooooo stressful.

Don't go out too fast and train for those Newton Hills - they are to be respected!

`2021 was my first Borathon, with a PR! I trained accordingly, giving importance to hills and on top of that, racing after after running hills. I was able to control my pace on the first 30k and by the time the Newton Hills arrived, that's where the party started. And as soon as you finish them, it's a miler countdown to glory. Staff was impecable, Expo and pre/post race events very well organized. It wasn't very cold (some bad reviews from 2018 are weather-related) and he rolling start was the best thing they could do, for Covid Safety and waiting times. According to your bib, elitle, red, white, blue.. you had a certain time to pick the bus and, for me, I was still at the bus (9:15am) when elite was already racing. I just had to approach the starting line and start running whenever I wanted. No aglomerations at all!

Save energy untl the uphills start, cheer with the crowd on the hardest moments and have a good supplementation strategy (carbs and water). Boston started a partnership with Gu, so there's also gel during the corse.

Boston restaurant week to eat your pasta/carb on the days before the race. Bring a jacket (in some cases pants) before race start, to donate. Masks were giving before loading the bus and being discarted before race start. A new mask was given after the finish. Since the organization provide buses that take you to the start, you can meet whoever you want at the family area near the finish line, or even at the closest metro station besides Copley that is the one that closes on rac day. Have some snacks for the raceday as well to eat before the race starts, according to your strategy, so you don't start in fasting.

Just been great running the Boston Marathon - think this race is any Marathon athlete's dream to participate in - refreshment stations been awesome - spectators along Route awesome - hair raising moments -

Do not start to fast - plenty downhill over the 1st 20km -

Been using public transportation which is very good

What's not to like? It's an honor and privilege to run Boston!

It's a tough course. You need to prepare your quads. While is downhill a great deal of the race, it's rolling downhills.

The Fairmount has all the Elite athletes. Great Opportunity to meet your running idols! Westin is close to finish and recently renovated. Super clean!

Running Boston in 2018, America's oldest race, was an almost completely negative experience. The weather was atrocious, and I understand no one has control over this, but the way the race was organized this year was miserable. Starting in wave 1, I had to wait for over 2 hours in the freezing cold in Hopkinton before the start. No going inside, no heaters, and barely any space even sitting under the one tent that was provided for hundreds of runners. More than half the elite men's field dropped out with hypothermia, and after finishing, I had to walk over 0.5 miles just to get water! It is an honor and privilege to run Boston, but I've been running competitively for 15 years, run races all over the U.S., and this was easily the worst experience of my life.

If you're planning on running Boston, make sure you are prepared to wait outside in whatever weather for over 2 hours. Also be prepared at the finish to have to walk between 1-2 miles in order to exit, find your family, etc. Honestly, the course is not that bad if you train and exercise properly for the hills. The first half of Boston will tempt you to run faster with the downhills, but you HAVE to pace yourself in order to not fatigue your quads too much and to be prepared for the 4 Newton hills at Miles ~17, 18, 19, 20. After mile 21, the course sort of flattens out, and this is where you can speed up. However, the race is very crowded the entire way (unless you're an elite, professional athlete), so pace yourself accordingly.

I stayed at the Omni Parker House Hotel close to the Boston common, and was within walking distance of the shuttle school buses that transported us to Hopkinton. I highly recommend staying somewhere where the shuttle buses leave from, because essentially the entire city shuts down for the marathon. Again, be prepared to wait 2 hours outside in the cold, heat, whatever before the start. Also, any gear you leave in Hopkinton WILL NOT be transported to the finish, so make sure whatever you bring to the start, you are prepared to part with.

Yes the weather was absolutely horrible in 2018 however this made it a marathon to truely treasure and remember. The organisers, volunteers, officials did a remarkable job in those conditions. I noticed a post here complaining about the facilities at the start - the fact is we knew what to expect and that is part of running a marathon and yes the athletes village was miserable but not because of anything the organisers did or didn't do. A runner who complains about that forgets that the volunteers and officials stood in the tempest all day, longer than we ran, and still cheered us on. In running this race I learnt what Boston Strong really stood for.

Don't overthink the hills, they are a challenge because of where they fall on the course and as long as you are race fit you will be ok. Stay on pace at the start and do not go out too fast on the downhill and you will be ok. Wellesley College is a highlight, be ready for it.

Stay as close to the finish line as you can, be prepared to sit around for a couple of hours at the start line, enjoy

I have run hot marathons (highs above 80) and cold marathons (starting below 25) but in terms of sheer misery Boston 2018 was the worst. As if low 40s with steady rain were not enough, the entire race was into a headwind of 20 mph with gusts to 45 mph. The one highlight for me occurred at mile 24. Shivering, dizzy, and moving at a pace more like a dog paddle through molasses than the pace I expected to be running in this elite road race, a gray haired policeman approached me. I thought he was going to tell me I needed to stop before I suffered hypothermia or worse. Instead he said something like this, "You look bad, you could stop, but you won't, you know why? because this is the Boston f***ing Marathon, finish it." I smiled for the first time in about two hours, and finished the race.

Prepare for the weather. Boston weather is unpredictable but you can know how to respond to anything that is thrown at you. If the weather is perfect, Boston can be a fast downhill course. But if the weather is bad, Boston can still be a great race because people will still come out to cheer, the race will still be well-organized, and the people running with you will all be great runners seeded to pace you perfectly. Keep in mind that you will be transported to the starting point hours before you start, so bring snacks and lots of extra clothes you can discard before the race. 40 degrees may be the perfect temperature to run a marathon, but standing still in 40 degree weather is very cold.

Stay in a hotel near the finish. Knowing that you can take a warm bath or a hot shower shortly after you cross the finish line makes it easier to put everything you have into the race.

Amazing crowd support.

Hold back, hold back, hold back for the first half - save yourself for the four Newton hills, and then run as fast as you can to the finish.

Can be long waits in the morning for the bus loading at Boston Common. A lot of people prefer to drive to Hopkinton offsite, wait in their cars and then jump in the shuttle to the village. Downside is you then need to take the shuttle back out at the end.

Great crowd support, great course, challenging, bucket list race

Go slow 1st half

Stay in Airbnb , take the runners bus to the start

The crowd support was outstanding. Just being in Boston was a fun experience. The Expo is huge and has so many vendors for runners. The runners wore their jackets, shirts and medals all over town. Runner complimented each other over finishing, which was unusual. The Boston people welcome the runners into town. The race is pretty expensive with hefty hotel charges. Many more details to manage than a local course.

Boston's course is famous for the Newton Hills and Heartbreak, living up to the expectation. Make sure you train on uphills and downhills. The downhills are hard on the quads. The temps in Boston for race day can be higher so make sure you try to acclimate as much as possible. The race starts at later morning so practice fueling before long runs. Bring clothes to wear for cold or warm temps.

We worked with Marathon Travel to find a hotel and it went smoothly. I would try to book as close to the finish line as possible. We stayed at the Boston Park Plaza and it was okay for the price. The area of Boylston Street has many restaurants and runners are at the sport stores and finish area for photos. Took a travel bus to the starting line and I recommend that. We could stay in a comfortable seat and rest for the race.

What's not to like? It's the Boston Marathon! Great crowds from Hopkinton to Boston. It's definitely an experience of a lifetime.

I would recommend you get into town on Friday and take it all in. Watch the 5K on Saturday, run shakeouts on the river, shop at the expo, visit Hopkinton and drive the course. On race day, be prepared for a long bus ride from Boston to Hopkinton. Be prepared to wait around in the athlete village and corrals for a while. The downhills in the first half really take a toll on you. Be prepared for massive soreness in your quads for several days to a week after the race.

I think the Back Bay neighborhood is the best area to stay since you're close to the action during the weekend and near the finish line on Monday. Book your hotel as early as possible!

The energy in Boston is amazing. I did not like the amount of trash on the course.

You need to stay downtown. It's impossible to stick to a pacing strategy at the start due to crowding. ,

For a first timer, it was at times overwhelming. The support was great.

Don't let the magnitude of the event distract or keep you from getting your routine in. Warm up and stretch like you would any other day...

Getting bussed out took longer than expected. Had very little time in Hopkinton.

Go slow in the beginning, don't be fooled by the downhills in the beginning, you will pay the price on the hills.

Watch out for the heat, the race starts later in the day so it can be very hot as you are running at mid day

Difficult, for sure. Don't go out too fast! The pace band is KEY.

Start conservative and accelerate throughout. Take it easy up the hills, then coast in to the finish!

Arrange for a private car to take you and your running group to the start line. Much better than the bus, and leads to less time in the athlete's village :-)

Incredible event and organization - but a wicked hahd race!

Don't go to the Expo every day before Marathon Monday and don't go drinking for three nights in a row with all the folks from Saucony and New Balance.

The tradition is like no other. If you have the opportunity and qualify, run it.

Try, try, try to hold back in the beginning. This is hard with the downhill start, but you will thank yourself later ehn you hit the hills.

I love staying downtown, but it is pricy. If you are on a budget, consider staying outside the city as long as you have access to the train or subway. Or if you are travelling with family consider staying in Framingham or Westborough where you can be driven to Hopkinton State Park and take a quick (1 mile) bus ride to the start area. They can watch the start and then drive to the city and see you finish easily - even if you are a 2:30 guy!

Iconic! well-organized! Fun and if run correctly, not as hard as many marathons.

The route offers no shade. Start off conservative and don't get swept away by the excitement. Save your quads for the late hills. Let it go after Heartbreak Hill--it is mostly downhill. Take in the crowds--they are fantastic.

Stay downtown within walking distance of the runner's buses.

The atmosphere of this race is unsurpassed!

The first few miles are downhill, so it's important to run conservatively, and with good form to avoid trashing your quads early. You'll need them in the Newton hills between mile 16-20.

It is at the TOP of the Bucket List for most Runners!

You are a Parade with thousands of strangers lined up to cheer you on!

Enjoy the race and even more than trying to PR.

Don't be afraid of the famous hills, they aren't that bad as long as you don't run the first half too hard. I just cruised the first half and ran a negative split even with the hills in the second half.

Without being lengthy. Excellent. Top notch

Downhill and hill training near end of long runs. Take the 1st 5-6 k approx 15 sec slower than race pace and save the quads

Historic, Iconic...The mother of Marathons! Starts in the country ends in the heart of downtown Boston. Impeccably organized! Crowds are intense!

Train on hills.

Have a beer at the Black Rose or Bell in Hand afterwards.

I stayed near finish with a number of friends and enjoyed the fans. Cost is high but worth it. Public transportation was very usable.

I have run it 5 times. 2016 was the one Boston that I did not go out slow and it was miscible for the last 5 miles.

book hotel early. even before you get in since you can cancel. Watch flights as they fluctuate a great deal. Take time to go to the free pasta dinner. You can go in on Sunday but to get the true experience arrive no later then Saturday and really Friday.

Every runner should be able to experience Boston at least once in their lives! If one cannot qualify by time, there are charity openings. I have volunteered for Boston for three decades and come back every year. :-)

Do your hill work before attempting Boston. Enjoy the crowds along the way...especially the Wellesley College co-eds' "scream tunnel!" The point to point course is truly New England unique...starting the little town of Hopkinton by their Village Green and finishing in the heart of Boston!

Savor the energy, bustle and crowds of Boston Marathon Weekend! The hotel are comparatively expensive, but you're getting a great experience. You do not need a car since public transportation is plentiful and the race bus shuttle efficient. Just read and follow the race instructions and you'll be good to go. See you there!

Tradition and the feeling of being part of history. There is a reason the field size is limited and qualifying standards exist.

Take it easy the first sixteen miles, the next seven miles are long. Don't run down the hill too fast into Cleveland Circle either.

This is the Granddaddy of all marathons. The downside now is no warm clothes at the finish line anymore. You have 1/2 mile+ walk to get your clothes. If you don't get to the village early you will not be under the tent and be outside and cold and if raining you will be wet and cold for hours before your start. I have done 20 Bostons and next year Boston will be my 100th Marathon as it was my first marathon, I want the 100th to be special.

The race is downhill for the first 15+ miles (some rollers, but downhill) then at 16 you go up a hill almost a mile (biggest hill on course) open to all the elements. Heartbreak hill is only 0.3 miles and not that steep.

Wear plenty of throw away clothes for the start. Try to have someone who loves you at the finish with warm clothes.

Crowded, but historic. Try to enjoy, not the best race for a PR attempt.

Definitely be careful of the downhills in the first 4 miles. They are deceiving. Go out slower.

Good luck. The whole town is a bit of a zoo. Leave lots of time. Try to share a hotel with friends. Everything overpriced. If not, AirBnB.

It's the most competitive race I've ever run and I had plenty of people to pace off of the whole time. It rained hard in 2015 which made for great racing temps and sub-optimal conditions at the finish line. My chief complaint was that the organizers did not move the thermal blanket station up closer to the finish line until later in the day, so many athletes finishing below 3 hours spent the first 15 minutes after the race standing uncovered in rain and 40F.

The downhill start definitely lends to a positive split but you can minimize the damage of that by balancing your effort on the hills in miles 15-19 before Heartbreak. I had a 2 minute positive split and my first 4-5 miles of the race were 10 seconds faster than I wanted. You can really roll on the first half of the course if you want to.

I took the buses out to the course. I was in Wave 1, Corral 2 and thus was able to get some real estate to sit down early under the tent when it started to rain.

The classic of all races. Fastest field...... Qualifying makes it very special.

Negative splits are best with a very conservative first 4 miles.... Push it on the last 10k.

MBTA Green line - riverside line.

The atmosphere at Boston is unique. Going to the course so early is a hassle, and the security is a hassle, but the race is worth it.

Don't count on a PR. The course looks fast, but it isn't. There are way too many variables (crowds, weather, course, weird start time, etc) that you can't control, so go for the experience, not for the PR.

It's a amazing run - crowds and the history make this a bucket list item. As for the race itself - not so much. The course is narrow - and overcrowded. I limit this to a once every 5 years or so event.

Unless you're in coral 1 or 2 - forget pacing. It ain't gonna happen. You'll be struggling to find a rhythm for the 2-4 miles. Best to take it easy for the first 5 and enjoy it. Then if all is right, try racing.

Great race. Will always have a place in my heart as the race where my family was spared from death, and where I cannot even approach the finish line without tearing up.

This course can be fast, but you need to chill out for the first half. You may want to not even go with the flow of fellow (perhaps foolish) runners the first half: purposely slow down if your splits are faster than they ought to be. Then slowly reel in the last half of the race. You're going to be tired, anyway, for the Newton Hills, but if you have paced properly you will be able to handle them just fine. Even after that, you have five more miles to turn up the heat.

Don't listen to anybody who talks about getting caught up in the half marathon course or going on the wrong side of the road. The full and half are not even on the same day (they are months apart).

Hotels in Boston are very expensive, so consider only staying there after the race for a night or two. For the night before the race, two years in a row I stayed in Milford, MA which is much closer to the starting line. They have shuttles from the small towns to the athlete village, much closer to your desired time, so you don't have to sit around the village for hours waiting to get to the start (and you don't have to board the BAA buses at 6:00 in the morning).

I ran this the year of the bombing. Wasn't a great finishing experience. But everything leading up to the day was great!

Prepare for rolling hills.

Awesome town with so much history. It was great, although I had to be careful not to walk around all day trying to see everything! No complaints about anything related to race organization.

I was planning to PR when I ran Boston back in 2011 as I assumed a substantial net loss in elevation would help me run faster. Don't fool yourself, this is a tough course if you don't train on hilly terrain. I ran it 11 minutes slower than my qualifier, and I talked to others who had the same thing happen to them. Train for rolling hills...

Make sure to visit the starting line the day before the race.

The environment, atmosphere and crowds were amazing.

Pre-race is a logistical challenge. Think through how to manage all of the time you are likely to have waiting for the start.

It's Boston. What else can I say. I qualified after my fourth attempt over three years. It was worth the wait! The crowds were awesome on every bit of the course. Welleslley didn't disappoint, but the kids at Boston College were incredible and came right after Heartbreak Hill.

After I BQ'd, I trained specifically for the Boston course. The hill work I did got me over the hills in Newton, but I was really unprepared for the downhills after that. My legs really blew up. I'd recommend training downhills for this course more than concentrating on the uphills. I still managed to PR though!

We stayed at the Marriott just down from the Hynes Civic Center (expo). It was very convenient. Although on race morning we had to take a taxi to the buses since the nearest subway line was closed.

Excellent crowds and great town.

Hills and unpredictable weather.

Close to finish is best.

Excellent crowd support. weather too warm.

Go out slow.