Boston Marathon 2025. Was it as good as I remember?????

Boston 2025 More of the same or not? This was a question I was keen to answer after returning to the Boston Marathon after 11 years. Having run the course in 2013 (memorable for all the wrong reasons) and 2014 (memorable as a tour de force of running reclaiming the city), I wondered if 2025 would be as special. In short, yes. Yes it was. It is the greatest marathon in the world and it was only better than 2014. Two things really stand out as to why I rate this the best marathon. Yes it has the history - this being the 129th running - but just because you’re old doesn’t mean you’re still great.

No, the first thing is the organisation. It is simply breathtaking how they can be so organised and make it such a seamless and runner-focused world. Having nearly 10,000 volunteers helps. That’s a ratio of 1:3 volunteer to runners! But you’ve got to arrange and organise everything across multiple towns and groups. It’s so coordinated and so good. 11/10. The other biggie - and it’s the biggest of the big - is the cheering crowds. I’d forgotten how loud they are. We’re talking LOUD! And they cheer all day. Not just for the elites or for the one runner they are supporting. They cheer just as loudly for random strangers like me, and then they take it up another notch or three when they see their loved ones! It is full on. It is a lot. It is exhilarating. They must be exhausted at the end of the day. It is smile inducing and I continually caught myself realising that I was waving and interacting with them and laughing at their signs. I wore my Melbourne Marathon Spartan singlet and must have heard “Go Spartan” one thousand times. How can that not be motivating!

They offer you drinks, oranges, bananas, you name it. Even free beers!

Yes the weather was ideal. That helps but the 500,000+ crowd would have been there regardless and the organisation the same. So this event wins in my mind because of these two factors. You can’t control the weather but you can control everything else - and they did.

I’d also forgotten how brutal the Newton Hills are. Funny how time evaporates those memories, isn’t it! They are really tough and ‘Heartbreaking Hill’ is well named. There are three hills. And the rolling up and downhills course pounds the quads and beat up the legs even more. I’d forgotten how friendly the volunteers are. They say “thank you” to me after they have given me a medal!! Who does that? They cheer us on as they hand us water so we can enjoy what we enjoy. I’d forgotten about how people wear their medals around afterwards and so many people say “congrats”. This is the spirit of running at its best. This is the spirit of community that takes over this city. It is super positive and infectious. If only we could have that everywhere.

I’d forgotten about the special bond amongst runners who have done Boston. Doesn’t matter if you’ve done it once or 30 times, win the race or come last. If you are a Boston Marathoner you are a Boston Marathoner. And you’re ’in the club’. And wearing a Boston Marathoner celebration jacket is a mass bonding experience! Other events may sell jackets but none carries them this way. I’d forgotten how professional the event was. Runners get goodies and treats. And this event would never run out of water or Gatorade or paper cups. There are signs and banners and ads on every corner. It really sweeps the city up. Yes, this is the runner’s run. The marathoner’s marathon. I’d forgotten how time qualifying means these are roughly the best 5-8% of marathoners in terms of times. No other race on earth (unless it’s the Olympic trials or Olympics) has that.

I can't forget the 2013 event, but it is honored with memorials at the two bomb sites on Boylston Street and the underpass has a ‘Boston Strong’ sign on it as a permanent memorial too. Nice.

And finally, I’d forgotten how good it feels to run down a great finish shute and just soak it all in. Last time was a blur because I was chasing a time. This year I cruised and enjoyed it and cheered and smiled and waved. And loved it.

Thank you Boston Marathon. You are the best of the best.

This year some notable numbers: • 50 years of wheelchair division • The Korir family became the first to have two brothers win Boston each! • Runners from 129 countries- the youngest 18 and 1 day, the oldest 86 and 4 months! • One runner on a 56 year streak! • 309 runners from Australia.

ANDREW'S RATINGS: Medal 11/10. It really is quite spectacular. And heavy! And an extra bonus point for how everyone wears theirs and even on the plane as I’m leaving Boston while I write this I can see medals! Crowd 11/10. If you haven’t experienced such a crowd it can be hard to fathom. But in the occasional parts of the course where there aren’t spectators (such as a bridge underpass) it is so noticeable and at its loudest it is deafening - you can’t hear the person you’re running with speaking! Organisation 11/10. See above. It’s faultless. Moving 30,000 people anywhere can be difficult so to do it so well takes expert logistics and planning. It could go so wrong, but because of their preparation it becomes a joy for the participants. Expo 8/10 Not as big as I remember. It’s now more of a sponsor showcase than a running expo. But that’s fine. The sponsors put on a good show. The Adidas merchandise stand had 60 checkouts and people were throwing money at them. It’s crazy. Bib collection was busy but, once again, the organisers have learnt the ‘Disney Way’ of moving people and it all flows. No crazy rushing or pushing. Just follow the lines and everyone will get there. Special mention to the hotel we stayed at, which was one of the official hotels through Marathon Tours. They put it on for us runners and made it a great - if frightfully expensive - time. As we returned to the hotel getting a standing ovation from all the staff was a memorable touch! Speaking of costs, yes the hotels are crazy because of supply and demand rules No black toe nails!