Boston Marathon Hyperlapse

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Runner Tips History

• Hopkinton Starting Line - Nearby is a statue of race starter George V Brown who started the race between 1905 and 1937. Also, nearby is a statue of Dick and Rick Hoyt. Dick pushed his disabled son Rick in a wheelchair along the route an amazing 32 times.
• The first Boston Marathon had 18 participants
• The first mile is downhill, but this is a time to reign in your energy. Your legs will thank you at mile 25.
• In 1924 the starting line was moved back from Ashland to Hopkinton where it still remains
• Mile 2: You'll find yourself on a winding road for the next few miles. Run the tangents whenever possible. You'll pass TJ's Food and Spirits on your left where you'll get a boost from music and a biker crowd.
• Tip - The first five miles are a net downhill. Despite feeling like you want to pick up the pace, continue to believe in your race plan. Run a conservative first half to have energy for the second half.
• Mile 4: Ashland Clock Tower - Great place to watch the race and the town where Henry Warren invented the electric clock.
• Mile 6.2: Framingham Train Depot - There will be seven or so sets of railroad tracks along this stretch, but the road is wide and flat so you won't trip up.
• The Boston Marathon is one of the six Abbott World Marathon Majors. The other races are the New York City, Chicago, Berlin, Tokyo, and London Marathons.
• John Hancock has been the principal sponsor of the race since 1986.
• Mile 9: Lake Cochituate is on your left and you hit the 15K mark as you come to the end of the lake.
• The Boston Athletic Association has organized the event since 1897.
• The Boston Marathon has 30,000 participants.
• Roberta Gibbs was the first woman to unofficially run the race in 1966.
• 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of women running the Boston Marathon
• Mile 11: Tip - Keep the same cadence despite the grade changes in the course. This will help you as your pace slows on in inclines.
• Mile 12.3: Wellesley College - The Scream Tunnel - Wellesley College students motivate runners with a quarter mile long scream tunnel. Catch some inspiration and some ear-splitting noise here.
• Mile 13.1: Wellesley Square - Once you pass this mark, you have less to run than you have already run. Let that keep your spirits up.
• The Boston Marathon was the first marathon to host a wheelchair division.
• The prize purse at the Boston Marathon is $830,500
• Mile 15: Tip - A half mile descent into Lower Newton Falls leads to a climb back up for 3/4 of a mile over the Rte 128 overpass. Stay calm, as you will have time to recover with a nice flat stretch after you crest the hill.
• In 2011, Geoffery Mutai of Kenya ran the fastest marathon ever run at the time: 02:03:02.
• Mile 17.4: Newton Fire Station - This is the first major turn of the race, called the "firehouse turn" this leads runners up through the first of the three Newton hills.
• Mile 18: Tip - After each of the three Newton hills, you'll have a nice stretch of "recovery" road. Remember this as you climb.
• Mile 19, corner of Comm Ave and Walnut St: Johnny Kelley Statue - The "Forever Young" statue stands just beyond 19 miles and encourages runners through the second of the Newton hills.
• The Boston Marathon distinguishes itself as a "qualifying race". There are qualifying times runners need to meet to be eligible for entry.
• Mile 20: Heartbreak Hill - Make it or break it on Heartbreak Hill - a steep half mile uphill. This is the last major climb of the course before runners gradually descend into Boston. Heartbreak Hill was named for the race when Elison "Tarzan" Brown pulled away from Johnny Kelley on the hill in 1936 and "broke his heart" by winning the race.
• Johnny Kelly won Boston twice and ran the race 61 times.
• Mile 21: Boston College - The college crowd will motivate you as you descend for a half mile. Remember to shake out your arms, give your shoulders a roll and try to relax and prepare for the final miles.
• Mile 22: Cleveland Circle - You'll see lots of fans and cross over the Green Line trolley tracks. The downhill continues and your quads might be screaming at you, but keep moving.
• The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annually run marathon.
• The Boston Marathon is held on Patriots' Day, a holiday in Massachusetts and always the third Monday of April.
• First run in 1897, the Boston Marathon was inspired by the first Olympic Marathon, held in 1896.
• Mile 25: Citgo Sign - means one mile to go!
• Mile 25: Kenmore Square - With the Red Sox playing, the area around Fenway Park is always rowdy. This tradition started in 1903.
• The final mile of the race leads you underneath Mass Ave and into Copley Square, home of the Boston Public Library and the Old South Church.
• Mile 25.8: Right on Hereford, left on Boylston - one of the most famous turns in road racing. Many Boston Marathons have been won or lost on this turn.
• Nearby is the Tortoise and Hare statue, which is inscribed "In tribute to runners from all over the world".
• Nearby is a 15-foot granite medallion embedded in Copley Squeare, which includes a map of the course and the names of previous winners.
• Nearby is the Boston Athletic Association headquartes that houses a small museum of memorabilia.
• Mile: 26.2: The iconic finish line of the Boston Marathon on Boylston Street.
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