[RichardC]

I heard sopmething today that kind of said Boston is a Joke!<br><br>
I was told that alot of people can qualify even if they do not meet the qualifing times...<br><br>
Example doctors.... they can run boston.. no matter what their marathon time is... if this is true than boston is nothing more than a regular marthon... I understand that life isn't fair but come on...<br><br>
Now don't get all pissed of at me if i just called your dreams a Joke... your dreams of Qualifing are and should be Commended.... it is those that do not are a Joke.

 

[VictorN]

Where have you been? There are all sorts of ways to get into Boston without qualifying, has been for a very long time. That doesn't diminish the effort made by those who do qualify nor does it diminish the reputation of the Boston Marathon itself.<br><br>
Victor

 

[RichardC]

Victor.... I am not a long time runner so... where I have been is not around the running scene (only have been running for a year now)...<br><br>
And I am not trying or would even think of diminshing the efforts of the People who qualify...<br><br>
But I do disagree it does (atleast for me..maybe not for others) diminish the Boston Marathon as something that is for the elites and or close to it.

 

[Nettie]

Those people don't actually <i>qualify</i> though; there is a difference. I still think there is a lot of honor in qualifying for Boston even if other people that are slower are running it for other noble reasons (like charity). But to each his own.

 

[arc918]

At Boston you get seeded in corrals at the start according to you qualifying time. The lower the number, the faster the qualifying time. After all the qualified runners are seeded, then they give the number out to charities, running clubs, sponsors and other special groups. At the very back of the pack are a couple thousand bandits.<br><br>
So let's say we had a woman (age 35?) whose PR was 5 minutes off her 3:45 qualifier and she was running for charity. She'd be lined up at the back of the pack, behind the 75 y/o people who qualified with a 5:15.

 

[runninirish]

I guess it's all perception...there is a difference between saying:<br>
"I qualified for Boston" and "I ran Boston"...most people won't know the difference...and if they don't know the difference, then they won't appreciate (entirely) what it means if you say "I qualified". I don't worry about it...Boston was great. I'm glad I ran it last year. It was a dream of mine that took time to achieve...I will not run it again though. It was overboard and seemed to lack that "aura" I was hoping for...

 

[kestrou]

I qualified with a 3:18 a little over a year ago - then "jogged" Boston in 3:57 (kissed TEN Wellesley girls! <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"> ) last April<br><br>
Planning to go back this year and run under 3:20 so I can say: I qualified for Boston AT Boston! <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif"><br><br>
A small goal, but one that will make me happy - and that's what counts to me.<br><br>
kestrou

 

[Jensparks]

Ahh the age-old debate. Is it FAIR that people who haven't qualified get a number to run Boston anyway? As long as the BAA provides these entries, yes it's fair.<br><br>
As others have pointed out, the invitational or charity runners (who pay about $100 more for their registration than qualified entrants - $200) are seeded BEHIND those who qualify. So, those faster runners will not have to work their way through the slower runners, nor will the slower runners take anything away from the faster/qualified ones.<br><br>
Personally, I have decided to wait to run Boston to see if I qualify. But, should I not qualify in the next 5 years (heck, I'm not even running a marathon this year), I will probably decide to obtain a number by other means, if available. Runninirish makes a VERY good point at the difference between running Boston and qualifying for it. Anyone who it matters to knows the difference.<br><br>
The Boston Marathon has never been advertised as a race for Elites, or sub-Elites only. It's widely renowned as one of the toughest marathon courses out there. The history of it, and the spectators speak for themselves. The BAA provides opportunity for charity runners & others to be participants, just like they provide people the opportunity to qualify and get an earlier start/seed, and pay less for their entry.<br><br><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Anyone</span> can run the Marathon. This is the fourth year I'll be a volunteer and I can't tell you how many bandits I see run the course every year. THIS bothers me (and baffles me). Unregistered participants running the course, drinking the water/gatorade and using the medical services paid for by the registered entrants. Volunteers, like me, have to stay on the course until the clocks are collected, which is usually after swells of bandits have run by, so they are utilizing the time of all these people too.<br><br>
I'm guessing that when a qualified runner runs Boston - somewhere around Newton it doesn't matter anymore how the people around them got there. All they care about is getting through the damn hills. <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif">

 

[RichardC]

Actually I could care less about Fair or not Fair in life or Sports.. I have always felt you want something you go out and make it happen for yourself!

 

[runninirish]

I do have to say that Wellesley lived up to the hype! It was awesome running through there. My wife was waiting there for me...she ALMOST went to college there, so she was pretending she was a Wellesley girl for a day!

 

[kestrou]

So does that mean you only got to kiss wifey?<br><br>
A middle-aged guy like me (42) doesn't get co-ed kissing opportunities in very often you know - as in NEVER <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"> - so hope you didn't miss out!<br><br>
Actually two of the ten were REALLY old ladies (in their 80s, looked too old to be faculty) at the end of the line - they were pretty surprised when I stopped to give them kisses! <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif"><br><br>
kestrou

 

[runninirish]

yep..just one kiss for me. I was having a BAD race, I held things together pretty well until I saw her, and then I shut her down and "jogged" home...I PRed big in a 1/2 4 weeks later, so I had some redemption for a bad Boston. Just yesterday, my wife said if I BQ this May she'd go back for another one...that certainly got me thinking about it...

 

[canalrunner]

There are 20,000 in Boston each running their own race, each with their own story about how they got there. Everyone has to be comfortable in their own skin.<br><br>
I am very proud of getting there by qualifying. I am also very happy I did some charity fund raising as well (several thousand $ for the foodbank) and proud of the charity runners who raised a ton of money for a bunch of great causes. With the great coral system, the bandits or other runners never affected my run or my thrill of turning on to Bolyston for the final stretch and crossing the finish line. I know how I tell my Boston story and it doesn't have any asterisks.