I have a few, did it nine times between 1988-2006. The left turn onto Boylston has always been my favorite moment of every race just to see/hear the huge crowds, the finish line a few hundred yards in the distance, and all the pain from the past few hours suddenly melting away for that final stretch.

Other favorite spots along the course include the biker bar a few miles into the race in Ashland (always a rowdy but enthusiastic crowd), going by Wellesley College (so loud!) and coming down the backside of Heartbreak Hill by BC.

I’ve always thought the toughest part is around mile 16 just after the big downhill out of Wellesley into Newton Lower Falls where it is a long slow steady incline going over Rt 128. The quads/lower back have been taking a pounding from the elevation drop through the first half of the race and this is the first shift in muscle groups ahead of the Newton hills. This is also usually where the lead packs tend to break up.

First year I did it (senior year of college) it was cold and raining, couldn’t stop shivering afterwards. The year after the the temps were pushing 90 and it was humid, no leaves on the trees yet so very little shade. Not a fun day.

One year (I think 2005) I was in great shape going in and started having stomach issues around mile 8. I had to stop a few times at porta-johns or behind bushes but kept going. Around mile 22 I was walking along Beacon St. on the side of the road by the Green Line just to be away from all the drunk college kids along the other side. I had a Timex IM hat on and at one point passed a pair of drunk homeless guys sitting by themselves. As I went by, one of them said to the other, “Looks like his Timex took a lickin’ and didn’t keep tickin’ !!!” and they both fell over each other laughing. I actually started laughing too and turned and said “Alright, that was pretty good!” and it was enough to get me going again the rest of the way to the finish.

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"You can never win or lose if you don't run the race." - Richard Butler

Wife and I had pursued a joint qualification for some time, we finally made it in 2013.

We both got in top shape, and I had high hopes of 3:05, possibly a tickle at the magic 3 hr. Everything ok pre race and I was executing my plan perfectly: quiet race (ignore crowds) to Wellesley with HR <140, up and over the hills then a huge push into the City for the last 5 miles, my fastest miles of the race.

Everything perfect until I literally crested that last hill and started to descend.....ruined. Damage done in the early descents even though I’d been super cautious. Crawled home in 3:11.

Naturally being 2013 things went seriously bad after the race, but reunited with wife after a worrying hour and got messages back home to worried family watching the coverage.

We have vowed to come back and have the proper experience, it’s a great race.

started running in 1975, heard about Boston later that year, figured I'd never get there from S. Africa. Read about it every year in the magazines - no TV in S. Africa until 1975, then two government-run propaganda channels for which marathons weren't a high priority. Watched the qualifying times drop, and drop, and drop until men age 21-40 needed a 2:50. At that time my PR was 3:06.. oh well it won't happen even if I could get there.

Later dropped PR and the qualifying times eased, immigrated. I wasn't sure what I could run as I'd had cerebral malaria the year before, lost 30lbs mostly muscle in intensive care and came out with fatigue issues..

Tried for a 3:10 at the Charlotte Observer marathon but faded to a big new PW of 3:30. Hm. Back to basics and piled up some slow easy miles before the last possible qualifier in driving range, the Smoky Mountains marathon in Townsend TN, and negative split to 2:56.
Checked on fitness two weeks before Boston with a hard 10k, 35:20. That was well over a minute slower than PR and I couldn't see running a marathon PR. In a way that made it easy - decided to run a sub-3 and not even attempt to race, just enjoy the run. Had a beautiful run, didn't even notice Heartbreak Hill, even split to 2:50. The turn onto Boylston was overwhelming, I may have had tears running down my face..