essentials
been there
GOING THE DISTANCE
I
’ll remember my first trip to Massachusetts’ capital for the hundreds of thousands of strangers who helped me reach the finish line of this year’s Boston Marathon. I have done countless marathons and triathlons around the world over the past 13 years, and most events are personal journeys with only a smattering of Distance runner jeanette wang lonely, spectators along the course. pushes herself to the limit to The Boston Marathon was different. Some complete the Boston Marathon. 500,000 spectators offer boisterous support as they line the 42.195km course. In a year that saw temperatures hit a record 32˚C – it’s typically about 10˚C – the fervent supporters kept me going. At the start line in Hopkinton on April 16, people were sweating from just standing around. The 26,000 runners were flagged off in three waves 20 minutes apart, starting from 10am. I was in the second wave. By the 10km mark in Framingham, I had caught up with a few first wave runners who had reduced their pace to a walk. As the race wore on, more runners wilted and eventually 932 dropped out. The spectators were a godsend, handing out cold drinks, spraying runners with garden hoses and water guns, giving out juicy oranges, offering high-fives and yelling out encouragement almost every step of the way. By the halfway point, I was spent and thoughts of giving up crept into my mind. But my legs were jolted back into action by the famed Scream Tunnel, a 402m-long wall of sound by the female students at Wellesley College. The crowds swelled and got louder as the finish line neared. At the 33km point in Newton is the notorious Heartbreak Hill, so called as it is the toughest stretch on the course. The thundering cheers from Boston College students drowned out the pain of trudging up the slope. At the top of the hill, a large inflatable arch read: “The heartbreak is over.” By Brookline, some 4.8km from the finish line, spectators were two to three deep and wild – many helped by the beers they had been drinking since 8am. Finally, I reached the inimitable roar of Boylston Street and I knew I was home. Thank you Boston, I couldn’t have done it without you. ■
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s i lv e r k r i s . c o m
RUN, BOSTON, RUN
1
Freedom Trail Run Held every Saturday and Sunday at 8.30am, this 5km run goes past some of the most important landmarks of the American Revolution. freedomtrailrun.com
2
Bill Rodgers Running Center Runners in the know gear up here, at the store owned and operated by four-time Boston Marathon champion Bill Rodgers and his brother Charlie. Look out for the running memorabilia on the walls of the shop, which is located at Faneuil Hall Marketplace. billrodgersrunningcenter.com
3
Middlesex Fells Reservation With an extensive network of more than 160km of trails, this 1,042ha park some 12km north of downtown Boston is a hiker’s and trail runner’s delight. fells.org