Bring on the Beaupres!
Tom, Laura, and their son Ian made the seven hour sojourn from Allentown, PA to arrive in time for Tom to pick up his inaugural number.
But before he could get that, he needed to pay homage to the granddaddy of the Boston Marathon himself, Johnny Kelley, whose statue waits for runners in Newton, around mile 18, just as they prepare to crest the hills that break hearts. So of course, we stopped to pay our respects and hope a little of Kelley's Marathon Magic would rub off on Tom. (Spoiler alert: it did!)
After Tom got his first glance at Heartbreak Hill, Boston College, Cleveland Circle, and the Beacon Street torture that would lay before him on the final five miles of Monday's run, we made it in to Boylston Street and Tom had his first up-close encounter with the most famous finish line in the annals of running.
He made sure to pay it the proper respect. He was superstitious about visiting the site prior to his official arrival there on Monday, but the exuberant atmosphere that surrounds the finish line on Marathon weekend is intoxicating and helps enhance the overall experience, and is not to be missed.
Not a cloud in the sky, sunny dispositions all around. This was a moment to remember.
And then it was off the number pick-off. You may recall seeing a near-identical shot of Tom's running cohort Andrew picking his up in our last scintillating blog post.
Yep. Only one Boston. And plenty of reasons to smile.
The course looks pretty flat when it's laid out on a map. Trust me, it isn't.
Inside the expo, at the Disney booth, I had a chance to salivate while admiring/fondling the Avengers Half Marathon medal that finishers of Disneyland's Avengers Assemble race collect at that race's end in California.
Alas, it's not a race I was able to make it to last fall. Instead, I can just hold the gorgeous hardware in my sweaty palms.
Ian is ready for his dad's gorilla run on Monday. This fella waits for people just as they prepare to climb the vaunted Heartbreak Hill. Many runners probably think they're hallucinating when they see the hirsute simian out there cheering for them. It's just one in a series of mind-altering visions that await you during the run.
The most welcome sign Tom found at the Expo.
Ian, proudly sporting his Red Sox gear, can tell his schoolmates he met Sam Adams during his trip to historic Boston, so it was an educational trip as well!
And his parents can tell THEIR friends they sampled the 26.2 Sam Adams ale made especially for the Boston Marathon!
Ian edged out last year's Marathon winner, Meb Keflezighi, and he didn't even break a sweat
The obligatory father/son Boston 2024 celebration, complete with laurels, flags, and medals. Start training Ian, our money's on you!
He's right, There's Only One First Boston. And it's unforgettable.
Finally, Ian was doing his best Mr. Crabs imitation, though it was actually a lobster. And those lobster sneakers and socks we scored on Friday during our first pass? Completely sold out by Sunday.
The swagging's done. Bring on Race Day!
1 comment:
What a great way to start my marathon experience. The whole thing was a blast.
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