How To Run the Boston Marathon

The Boston Marathon has become the world's oldest annually contested marathon, gaining international notoriety for its qualifying time requirement and challenging course.  Established in 1897, it is now one of five marathons in the World Marathon Majors.  After reading this, you'll be more informed on what it takes to run the Boston Marathon.

The Boston Marathon is the only marathon in the US, with the exception of the Olympics and various Championship races, that requires its entrants to meet a qualifying time standard prior to registering for the event.  The qualifying performances must be run within the 18-month time frame prior to the event.  Also, the qualifying marathons must be certified by USA Track and Field or a foreign equivalent.  The qualifying time standards are broken down by age groups and by male/female categories.  The qualifying standards can be found on the Boston Marathon website. As an example, males ages 18-34 must qualify with a marathon time of 3 hours 10 minutes or faster.  Your age on the date of the Boston Marathon in which you will run determines the qualifying standard you must meet.

Once you have successfully qualified for the Boston Marathon, applications for the event are typically accepted beginning in September prior to the marathon.  The Boston Marathon is always held on Patriots' Day, which is the third Monday of April every year.  The weather in mid-April for the marathon is typically in the 50s, so it is important to dress appropriately.  The Boston Marathon uses a two-wave start to stagger runners along the course and allow aid stations to replenish supplies between waves.  The first wave begins at 10:00 a.m., followed by the second wave a half-hour later.

The Boston Marathon is a point-to-point course, beginning on Main Street in Hopkinton and winding its way towards the Boston finish near the John Hancock Tower in Copley Square.  The course is notoriously challenging due to a series of hills towards the end of the course. "Heartbreak Hill," the most notorious of the hills, comes between miles 20 and 21, a time when most runners' glycogen stores are depleted.  This is usually referred to as "hitting the wall" during a marathon.

The Boston Marathon's challenging entry requirements and course have attracted running enthusiasts from all over the world to come to Boston to run this historic race.  Now that you know the ins and outs of the Boston Marathon, you're ready to start training for it too!