You might ask the same question of someone jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. Why? After all, technology has advanced to the point of allowing humans to actually travel 26.2 miles in a much more efficient way. You know, using cars, or at the very least, bicycles.

But still, over 30,000 ambitious runners paid the entrance fee, trained for months, put their usual weekend plans aside and showed up on a rainy Monday morning to put themselves through a very technical and difficult trek from Hopkinton to Boylston Street in downtown Boston.

I had my eyes on the Boston Marathon from the moment I started running to beat the effects of poor health more than 10 years ago. It took me three years and eight tries to qualify for my first one in 2008, then another 17 marathons and seven years to make it this year.

A lot has changed in those seven years.

In 2008, the marathon was apparently not quite as popular. The qualifying standards were a bit less restrictive, the registration process was a bit more open, and prior to the 2013 bombing, the security was a bit less evident.

In talking with members of the GOAL Foundation, the organization that puts on the Ogden Marathon, running 26.2 miles has become very popular in recent years and peaked in registration numbers around 2012. Which is why the Ogden Marathon was forced to switch to a lottery registration for the 2013 and 2014 races.

That phenomenon was evident in Boston when in 2010, there were so many qualified runners that the race sold out in a matter of days. In fact, many runners who had qualified weren’t able to sign up, forcing the organizers to drastically alter their registration protocol and tighten the qualifying standards for runners.

And who can forget the events of 2013 when two brothers decided to leave bombs made out of pressure cookers on the sidewalks near the finish line, also drastically altering the way organizers and law enforcement handled the race. And not only the Boston Marathon, but all marathons throughout the country, especially the largest ones were forever changed.

This year, there wasn’t a stretch of more than 100 yards where I didn’t see either a police officer, firefighter, or army reservist along the entire distance of the course, on both sides. In fact, as they were calling runners from the athlete’s village to the starting line, I noticed atop the adjacent building there were law enforcement officers scanning the area, similar to what you might see on a trip to the White House. It was a little eerie, yet comforting at the same time.

For me, the day was like a Biblical prophecy, a day both great and terrible. Terrible in the fact that I experienced some unexpected cramping and muscle fatigue much earlier than I do in most races. The driving rain, 40 degree temps, gusty headwinds and large puddles didn’t help either.

But I still would have done it all over if I had the chance. Words simply can’t describe the feeling of awe at seeing more than a million spectators, also dealing with the same weather issues, come out and line the course from start to finish to cheer for what has been described as the most boring parade ever. Yet they still come.

I laughed. I cried. I may have said a swear word (or two), or at least thought of it. Yet in my worst moments, when I had to hunch over on the side of the course to stretch out my legs, there was always someone right by my side to offer an encouraging word, a pat on the back, or a “get your tired, pathetic butt up that hill,” (in a nice way). It was all just what I needed. My emotions are coming to the surface even as I write this.

I have always been told that Boston is a great town. The Bostonians were good to me in 2008. But they really rose to the top this year. Even as I finished, cold and shivering, there were volunteers standing at the ready to drape a blanket over us, open bottles we were too weak to open ourselves, and even peel bananas prior to handing them to us.

This town has it right. What would you expect after 119 years of experience? The unity, loyalty and community support for this race is simply phenomenal.

Despite my difficulties in completing the course, you can guarantee I’ll be back. Let’s just hope it doesn’t take another seven years.

Link to this review