my boston marathon experience
In 2018 I finished the Boston Marathon, crossing the finish line with my amazing mother. It’s hard to pick one day of your life to be considered the ‘best day ever’, but if I had to choose just one day and one moment, this moment was the most memorable and life-changing experience.
In 2003, my Mom ran the Boston Marathon for the first time. I was 9 years old at the time and not a runner. But the seed was planted in my brain and I thought that one day, I would also like to run Boston. The goal became slightly more realistic when I actually became a runner, but for years it seemed like just a dream that may never happen.
It turns out that dreams can come true, especially with a little bit of hardwork and determination. After finishing my college athletics career, I decided to focus on qualifying for Boston. I got the qualifying time in my second marathon and the deal was sealed: Mom and I would run the Boston Marathon together in April of 2018.
Going into this race and trip, I was obviously excited. I knew it would be an incredible experience and I had been looking forward to it for years. However, I thought that this was my ‘ultimate’ running goal and that after this trip I would put running on the backburner for a while and focus on other hobbies I enjoyed such as kayaking and skiing.
It turns out that the exact opposite happened: the Boston experience was much more than I could have ever imagined and it fueled my stoke for running to an exponentially higher level. I knew the race would be special, but I didn’t realize just how special it would be and how life-changing the whole trip would be. I am happy to say that to this day, that stoke has only continued to grow and has not once dwindled.
It was such an honour and privilege to be a part of this prestigious event and even though I was only one of 30,000 runners, I felt like a celebrity all weekend long. Everyone in Boston was genuinely happy and proud of you to be there to participate in the event. Random people on the street, runners or not, would congratulate me on finishing the race and thank me for travelling to their city. All the volunteers were so excited to be there and help support the race. They would also thank us for being there, when really they’re the ones who deserve the thanks. The camaraderie amongst the athletes was incredible; it didn’t even seem like a competition. Everyone had their own story of getting to Boston and each and every one of them was inspiring and motivating in it’s own way.
Aside from the amazing people I encountered in Boston, the best part for me was running every single step of the 26.2 mile race alongside my Mom. Not many people can say they’ve run the Boston Marathon, and even fewer can say they crossed the finish line with their Mom.
While my heart and passion is more into trail and mountain running these days, my love for road running will never go away and I can’t wait to return to Boston one day. If you’re thinking of trying to qualify for Boston, all I can say is DO IT. Commit with all your heart; train as hard as you can; wake up early; run in the cold; run even when you don’t want to; and I can guarantee you that once you’re in Boston, it will all be worth it!