2020 Boston Marathon Thread (Read 408 times)

Trent


Good Bad & The Monkey

    .

    Trent


    Good Bad & The Monkey

      The Boston marathon is canceled. this thread is no longer necessary. Further, Individuals are now using this thread to grandstand with false information about the current outbreak, and show a deep lack of compassion for our fellow humans. Running is important to all of us but it’s not that important. I’m going to lock this thread now.

      Trent


      Good Bad & The Monkey

        I am unlocking this thread after conversation with several thoughtful stakeholders.

         

        Please limit your COVID discussions to this thread:

        https://www.runningahead.com/forums/post/85ec992e8ca0452899208d37eb904d89#focus

         

        Any COVID advice, analysis, commentary in this thread risks being removed or this thread being closed again.

         

        Be kind.

        FSBD


          I am unlocking this thread after conversation with several thoughtful stakeholders.

           

          Please limit your COVID discussions to this thread:

          https://www.runningahead.com/forums/post/85ec992e8ca0452899208d37eb904d89#focus

           

          Any COVID advice, analysis, commentary in this thread risks being removed or this thread being closed again.

           

          Be kind.

          Thanks Ternt.

           

          Anyone want to make wagers on the 2021 cut off?

           

          I'm throwing six and a half minutes out there.

          We are the music makers,

              And we are the dreamers of dreams,

          Wandering by lone sea-breakers,

              And sitting by desolate streams; 

          World-losers and world-forsakers,

              On whom the pale moon gleams:

          Yet we are the movers and shakers

              Of the world for ever, it seems.

            And, the language about the refund sounded iffy to me but it could just be that 20+ years of working with lawyers has taught me to pay attention to verb choices like offered vs. given.

             

            It read as very intentional to me too. The two things that immediately jumped out at me in reading the announcement and the FAQ were 1.) they really haven't decided if/how to let people defer to 2021--they're probably trying to determine what the take rate would be if they offered it and what that could do to the 2021 field, and 2.) they are worried about the logistics and expectation setting on the virtual race.

             

            I suspect one thing they are grappling with is whether to make a rule that you can't do your virtual race on the actual marathon course. I'll admit as soon as I started contemplating the virtual race, the first thing that came to mind is I could easily get dropped off in Hopkinton center with some friends and run the course at like midnight or 5am when there won't be any traffic and do a nice long run into the Back Bay ... so I'm sure others are having the same thought.

            Runners run


            delicate flower

              Thanks, Trent!

               

              1.) they really haven't decided if/how to let people defer to 2021 

               

              It would sure be a pleasant surprise if they did offer a deferral.

               

              In the meantime, DW is already planning my virtual run.  Whether or not I want to do the virtual run is a moot point.  She informed me that I am doing it.  lol

              <3

              stadjak


              Interval Junkie --Nobby

                 

                Anyone want to make wagers on the 2021 cut off?

                 

                When Sandy hit the NYC Marathon, everyone with a bib was offered a choice:

                 

                1) You can keep your bib and run next year . . . by paying the entrance fee AGAIN.

                2) You get get a refund on your entrance fee, but then you need to re-qualify . . . and pay next year's entrance fee, of course.

                 

                We had a group going, so we decided as a group which option to take.  We decided #1, with one of our group defecting for #2 because he had just won the Richmond marathon masters' division, so was confident he could qualify again.

                 

                Except he misjudged how many people would try to qualify for the next year and was edged out.

                 

                So, yeah, I'm going to bet the already stiff competition is going to be pretty bad in 2021.  Six minutes under qualified seems like a minimum.

                2021 Goals: 50mpw 'cause there's nothing else to do

                CalBears


                   

                  When Sandy hit the NYC Marathon, everyone with a bib was offered a choice:

                   

                  1) You can keep your bib and run next year . . . by paying the entrance fee AGAIN.

                  2) You get get a refund on your entrance fee, but then you need to re-qualify . . . and pay next year's entrance fee, of course.

                   

                  We had a group going, so we decided as a group which option to take.  We decided #1, with one of our group defecting for #2 because he had just won the Richmond marathon masters' division, so was confident he could qualify again.

                   

                  Except he misjudged how many people would try to qualify for the next year and was edged out.

                   

                  So, yeah, I'm going to bet the already stiff competition is going to be pretty bad in 2021.  Six minutes under qualified seems like a minimum.

                   

                  6 minutes (or 10 minutes, or 20 minutes) don't bother me at all - I will bring them 25 minutes - that should be a safe margin I guess. The thing that worries me most - if we have Boston marathon in April 2021 at all, which, currently, in the time of doom and gloom is hard to imagine happening 

                  paces PRs - 5K - 5:48  /  10K - 6:05  /  HM - 6:14  /  FM - 6:26 per mile

                  JMac11


                  RIP Milkman

                    I saw on their Instagram that for the 2021, they're going to honor times from the 2020 qualification period. Now, that doesn't mean if you got in for 20 that you'll be in for 21, but it does provide some relief for those worried about not having any time this spring or fall.

                     

                    I don't think the qualifying time will be that much stronger. A lot of people won't bother to sign up since things will not be back to normal once registration opens up and at least half the marathons in the normal period have been cancelled. Maybe a minute or two?

                    5K: 16:37 (11/20)  |  10K: 34:49 (10/19)  |  HM: 1:14:57 (5/22)  |  FM: 2:36:31 (12/19) 

                     

                     

                    Running Problem


                    Problem Child

                      I saw on their Instagram that for the 2021, they're going to honor times from the 2020 qualification period. Now, that doesn't mean if you got in for 20 that you'll be in for 21, but it does provide some relief for those worried about not having any time this spring or fall.

                       

                      I don't think the qualifying time will be that much stronger. A lot of people won't bother to sign up since things will not be back to normal once registration opens up and at least half the marathons in the normal period have been cancelled. Maybe a minute or two?

                      I would think there will be more applicants and we might see a stronger field applying. 2 minutes might not cut it and we might be looking at  another BQ-4:57 in order to run 2021. I HOPE by April 2021 we're back to normal and not running around wearing masks while outlawing gatherings of 50 people or more.

                       

                      This is probably all my fault. I directly said "Boston Marathon" in the 2020 and 2019 marathon training threads. It curses you if you say it.

                      Many of us aren't sure what the hell point you are trying to make and no matter how we guess, it always seems to be something else. Which usually means a person is doing it on purpose.

                      VDOT 53.37 

                      5k18:xx | Marathon 2:55:22

                      Julia1971


                         

                        When Sandy hit the NYC Marathon, everyone with a bib was offered a choice:

                         

                        1) You can keep your bib and run next year . . . by paying the entrance fee AGAIN.

                        2) You get get a refund on your entrance fee, but then you need to re-qualify . . . and pay next year's entrance fee, of course.

                         

                         

                        I suspect they will do something like that.  If they intended to just give us our money back, then the second email from them should have been, "Is the credit card you used to pay still good for your refund?"

                         

                        In that scenario, I'd keep my bib.

                        Julia1971


                           

                          I suspect one thing they are grappling with is whether to make a rule that you can't do your virtual race on the actual marathon course. I'll admit as soon as I started contemplating the virtual race, the first thing that came to mind is I could easily get dropped off in Hopkinton center with some friends and run the course at like midnight or 5am when there won't be any traffic and do a nice long run into the Back Bay ... so I'm sure others are having the same thought.

                           

                          Yep.  A friend in Miami emailed me with that exact same idea - running the Boston course - minutes after the announcement.  I wouldn't want to run the course but was thinking it might be kind fun to do 26.2 miles somewhere other than home.  (I did a virtual race back in April and called it the "2020 Runners Run Marathon".  I couldn't remember where I read that before until I saw your signature line yesterday!  Smile  Thank you for the inspiration.  It really is that simple, isn't it?)

                            I couldn't remember where I read that before until I saw your signature line yesterday!  Smile  Thank you for the inspiration.  It really is that simple, isn't it?)

                             

                            It really is.

                             

                            The origin story for "Runners run" as my sig line goes back to the cheesy 1980's movie Running Brave about the incredible true story of Billy Mills, the Lakota Sioux who grew up poor on a reservation and made it all the way to the Olympic 10,000m gold medal. There's a scene where Billy is going through an existential crisis and tells his coach he can't run right now. The crusty old coach says something like, "An Olympic runner doesn't decide when he can run and when he can't. He runs!"

                             

                            Apparently it made an impression on me as a 16-year-old high school 400/800 runner. For some reason that stuck in my brain and became a sort of mantra I would use to get myself out the door, even when I took up running again years later as an adult. Over the years it morphed into "A runner runs" and then, finally, the more concise and social "Runners run."

                             

                            When I was the RD for a local 5k for a decade I used to print "Because runners run" on the pint glasses we used as awards. There are pint glasses with that  tagline in kitchen cabinets of some pretty fast runners all over Eastern Massachusetts and beyond.

                            Runners run

                            Running Problem


                            Problem Child

                               

                              I suspect one thing they are grappling with is whether to make a rule that you can't do your virtual race on the actual marathon course. I'll admit as soon as I started contemplating the virtual race, the first thing that came to mind is I could easily get dropped off in Hopkinton center with some friends and run the course at like midnight or 5am when there won't be any traffic and do a nice long run into the Back Bay ... so I'm sure others are having the same thought.

                               

                              https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/04/16/nation/hopkinton-runners-please-dont-show-up-monday-run-boston-marathon-route/

                               

                              You mean like back in April when Hopkinton told runners not to do exactly what you're thinking would be easy? I thought there was one or two people who actually did the entire course on a Sunday during lockdown quarantine for the safety of others.

                               

                              https://www.wbur.org/news/2020/04/17/boston-marathon-coronavirus-rescheduled-try-run

                              Just remember Boston won't be celebrating you.

                               

                              The 125th anniversary edition is scheduled for 18 April 2022.

                              This is what pisses me off the most. I was looking forward to running the 125th. I'll be a "one and done" Boston runner unless they cancel it again because the Mayor doesn't think it's safe in another 6-10 months.

                              Many of us aren't sure what the hell point you are trying to make and no matter how we guess, it always seems to be something else. Which usually means a person is doing it on purpose.

                              VDOT 53.37 

                              5k18:xx | Marathon 2:55:22

                              Julia1971


                                 

                                It really is.

                                 

                                The origin story for "Runners run" as my sig line goes back to the cheesy 1980's movie Running Brave about the incredible true story of Billy Mills, the Lakota Sioux who grew up poor on a reservation and made it all the way to the Olympic 10,000m gold medal. There's a scene where Billy is going through an existential crisis and tells his coach he can't run right now. The crusty old coach says something like, "An Olympic runner doesn't decide when he can run and when he can't. He runs!"

                                 

                                Apparently it made an impression on me as a 16-year-old high school 400/800 runner. For some reason that stuck in my brain and became a sort of mantra I would use to get myself out the door, even when I took up running again years later as an adult. Over the years it morphed into "A runner runs" and then, finally, the more concise and social "Runners run."

                                 

                                When I was the RD for a local 5k for a decade I used to print "Because runners run" on the pint glasses we used as awards. There are pint glasses with that  tagline in kitchen cabinets of some pretty fast runners all over Eastern Massachusetts and beyond.

                                 

                                Very cool that you included that on the pint glasses.

                                 

                                I've been meaning to read more about Billy Mills...  I went on Amazon to see if the movie was available.  If you have a copy of the DVD, it's selling for $40-$80!