If you ask non-runners what they know about marathons, the Boston Marathon will be near the top of the list.
As the oldest continuously running marathon in the world, Boston is one of the most prestigious marathons in the world. It is also one of the six Marathon Majors, alongside Tokyo, Berlin, Chicago, New York and London. Local support is incredibly important for an event of this magnitude. It is estimated that there are 500,000 spectators along the course annually. This makes the Boston Marathon the most widely viewed sporting event in New England.
Part of the allure for many runners is the need to qualify. They do so at a pre-approved marathon. The qualifying time depends on an individual’s age and gender, but hitting a qualifier is an accomplishment in itself. Many runners spend years of focused training and multiple attempts to finally run their Boston Qualifying time.
Conditions this year at the Boston Marathon were brutal. Headwinds gusted over 40km/h, and there was torrential rain. Temperatures hovered in the low single digits, causing many runners to wear plastic bags for the entire race in an attempt to stay warm. Despite the difficult conditions, runners were determined and undeterred. This was reflected in a finishing rate of more than 95 per cent.
This year, three local runners were lucky enough to journey to Boston for the April 16 race. For local chiropractor Brad Crowe, this was his second time racing the Boston Marathon. He first ran it in 2011 with his father and running partner, Wayne Crowe. Brad trained for and completed his Boston Qualifier in Portland, Ore. as he was attending school full-time.
“It was a challenge to balance school and training, but I really think that being physically healthy helped me to focus and put in the hard work,” he said. “Training teaches you a lot about perseverance.”
Local mega-marathoner Janet Green also ran in Boston — her 21st finish out of 22 starts since 1993. Her one DNF (Did Not Finish) was in 2004 when she was injured and temperatures soared to 32 Celsius.
“This year was almost as bad [as 2004] due to cold rain, and I ran almost the entire race in a poncho,” Green said. “But I’m already re-qualified for 2019.”
Crowe was the first of the Comox Valley group to finish, coming in at 3:03:16.
“My goals definitely changed as the race went on,” he said. “I was hoping to still go under three hours, but I’m just happy to have finished.”
Colleen Schmidt ran well to finish below the four-hour mark, finishing in 3:58:26. And Green also ran strong to finish in 4:19:08.
“It wasn’t the day that we were hoping for, but it was a memorable one,” Crowe said.