Thursday, August 29, 2013

Boston Marathon Field Size & Registration Date Set

Today the B.A.A. announced the details for the 2014 Boston Marathon.

1. As expected, the field size will increase by 9,000 runners to allow 36,000 runners to take part next year.

2. Rolling registration will open on Monday, Sept. 9 at 10 a.m. ET.

  • Runners meeting the qualifying standards by 20 minutes or more will be able to register immediately. 
  • Runners meeting the qualifying standards by 10 minutes or more will be able to register on Sept. 11 at 10 a.m. ET.
  • Runners meeting the qualifying standards by 5 minutes or more will be able to register on Sept. 13 at 10 a.m. ET.
  • All qualified runners will be able to register beginning Sept. 16 at 10 a.m. ET.
Of course, at any point registration will fill up and close. My guess is sometime on Sept. 13, and I'm really hoping I'm able to get in (I'm in the 5 minute group). We'll all find out soon enough!

Monday, August 26, 2013

Why Do People Heckle Runners?

Every runner has heard the typical lines from hecklers:

"Nice shorts!"

"Run Forest, Run!"

"Agggghhhhhh" (usually the drunk person leaning half way out of the car window)

Overall, very few are creative, and some are downright appalling (I'm not going to include those, but it's shocking what some people will scream out their car window).

But no matter what is said, it's amusing to see how proud people can be the moment after delivering a really long, "Runnnn" in their Alabama accent. Forget the fact that it's mostly kids who use the famous movie line and weren't old enough to talk when the film first came out.

I often wonder what people think after they've delivered a line like "nice shorts!" Do they high five their friends and seek congratulations for their perfect delivery? Do they beam with a smile, proud at their ability of screaming out the car window at a perfect stranger? I'm guessing it's a combination of both.

Usually when I hear these lines, I just keep on running. Of course, some of them catch me off guard and I jump a little bit, unsure where the disruptive noise is coming from. I'm sometimes annoyed for a second, but I never give them anything back. While I'm running I'm in own world with me own thoughts, and I want that world to be peaceful.

But mostly, I feel sorry for these folks. Imaging when heckling a runner is a highlight of someone's day - how sad is that. If they could only experience the great feelings that come with running or working out, imagine how much better they'd feel.

So here's my question: are these people heckle runners? Are they angry or jealous?

Monday, August 5, 2013

Boston Marathon Field Growing by 9,000 Runners!

Even though the BAA hasn't made an official announcement, it appears that the 2014 Boston Marathon is going to have an additional 9,000 runners. This is according to Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis, who gave an interview to NECN over the weekend.The first thing this does is account for the 5,633 runners who were given guaranteed entry into the race. These are people who ran at least half way in 2013, but were not able to finish the race.

Adding an additional 3,000+ spots will help meet some of the increased interest in running what will be a very special race. This will also bring a big sigh of relief to many runners who have qualified for the race, but are on the cusp of getting in due to the high demand for a number.The BAA should probably make an announcement about field size and registration details over the next couple weeks, as registration is going to begin in September.