If you're in 2/1, there won't be very many people in front of you at all - at least not until you run into the back of wave 1, but by then it should be pretty sparse. With a 25-minute wave stagger, the BOP Wave 1 runners have at least a 15-minute head start.

Just have fun. Dont worry about PR's etc. Tske it in. I realized very quickly I wasnt going to have any clear space. Wave 2 coral 2 i think. It was assholes and elbows most of the way. At the biker bar a few mikes in on your left i just started to take it in rather than "race".

See you in that corral!

First Boston for me. Looks like 1/6. Approx how long does should I expect it to take to cross the start line once the gun goes off?

It's roughly a minute per corral. I was in corral 6 one year and I think I was about 4-1/2 minutes after the gun.

Sweet, thanks!

The great thing about Boston (unlike any other race I've done) is that *mostly* everyone around you is running the same pace. The first 3 waves are all seeded (I believe all the charity slots are in the 4th wave). The gun goes off, the crowd starts moving, you start running when you hit the start line and away you go. Very little dodging and weaving.

Unless you plan on running a vastly different pace than your qualifying time, I guess.

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Proud Member of Chris McDonald's 2018 Big Sexy Race Team "That which doesn't kill me, will only make me stronger"
Blog-Twitter-Instagram-Race Reports - 2018 Races: IM Florida 70.3, IM Raleigh 70.3, IM 70.3 World Championships - South Africa, IM North Carolina 70.3

In 2013 I started in wave 2 corral 3. I was much fitter than when I'd qualified, so I took it out at 7 minute pace. I was through the crowd and on pretty clear road after 5 miles. Ran into the back markers of wave 1 at about mile 17. In between it was pretty gloriously empty, and really good for focus. So in corral 1, if you lay it down a little harder than your qualifying pace, you may find yourself with lots of empty asphalt to enjoy (I do not advocate doing this unless you have the fitness to hold it all the way).

I'm back in wave 2 corral 6 this time, and I'm slower and older. I will get to know my corral friends much better this time, I think.

Hello fellow wave 2 corral 6 mate! I plan to run 10-15 minutes slower than qualifying time, just going to enjoy the event as this is my first Boston.

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Blog: https://swimbikerunrinserepeat.wordpress.com

Wave 2/Corral 1 for me, also. This actually sounds like a pretty good spot. 1st Boston so I have no idea what to expect.

I was in wave 2/corral 1 last year, and there was never any point in the race where it felt "crowded." In fact, had it been crowded, maybe I wouldn't have screwed up by going out too fast for the first ten miles.

Wave 2/3 for me. First Boston as well. I have had a horrible training season with 2 surgeries and now the flu, so I may get trampled - will be 15-20 min slower than qualifying time if I'm lucky.

I guess I will just hang to the back with the people doing high fives and wearing Elvis suits
SS

Just looked, Wave 4/corral 7. Got a charity spot although I'm hoping to run about 4 hr so the wave should be appropriate. Anyone drive to the start before. Was thinking of driving to Framingham for about 6am to hopefully get a parking spot then take the shuttle to the start. Is there anyplace to hang out for the 4-5 hrs i'll need to wait until my wave takes off?

Dont stress about it. Run along the outside right to start and simply take it all in.

I'll echo what's here. I did Wave 1-corral 8 in 2015 then 2-1 last year, now back to 1-8 tomorrow. I liked wave 2 better, more open space up front with the 25 minute gap between waves 1 and 2. Plus in 2015 I got tempted to run too fast by the other folks in wave 1 that were naturally faster than me. I paid for that in the last 10k. If you run with your corral mates you'll end up finishing around your qualifying time. Or drop them after heartbreak hill and you'll run faster than your qualifier. BUT that is hard to do.

The downhill in miles 0-5 are steep. Glide and save your quads.
Good luck. See you tomorrow

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Brian
“Eat and Drink, spin the legs and you’re going to effin push (today).” A Howe

And report any bib #s you catch up with from wave 1 to Derek

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808 > NYC > PDX > YVR
2024 Races: Taupo

That's my most distinct memory from Boston. Everyone in my corral had a qualifying time within about 3 minutes of me. We moved out en masse, shoulder to shoulder. I thought it was a very cool feeling.

My recap of the race is here.

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