Running bandit in the Boston Marathon

I ran the Boston Marathon on Monday, but you'll never see my time listed anywhere, b/c I wasn't a registered runner. I didn't qualify or raise enough money for charity to be given a bib. I had no idea how tight the restrictions would be on me, whether I'd be able to drink from the water stations or anything like that, so I called my buddy who'd run bandit before. He told me:

1. They won't stop me from drinking water during the race, or, worse, try to keep me from running. But they also won't let me on the bus that runs from Boston to the start in Hopkington, so I need to make my own way out there.
2. Take a cab even if it's expensive, driving around Hopkington that day is a pain
3. Direct the cab driver to the Hopkington State Park (which is beautiful)
4. Don't even bother arriving until 2 hours after the starting gun goes off, because it's so crowded and you have to wait to start until after the registered runners have departed.

All of his advice was helpful, except #4, which was nearly disastrous. I showed up just 1 hour later, and was 30 minutes behind the last person to go before me. All the water stations were closed for the first 6 miles of my run, until I started catching up to some of the, uh, bigger people. Thank god I didn't show up 2 hours late or I'd have had no water, or audience, for the entire race.

The event is often depicted as being a massive crowd of runners and fans, but most of the time, it looked more like this:

Other highlights:

• I went the first 335 months of my life without running a single marathon, but I've run two in the last two months.
• Apparently, the announcer on TV said this was the worst weather for a marathon in the 110-year history of the event. Hard to prove that, but it was raining, 38º, and there were ~30 MPH gusts of wind, right in the face of the runners.
• The crowd is amazing. I am not surprised that college kids whose schools are along the course show up. It's a great excuse for mid-day drinking for them. But I'm really moved by all of the little children and parents who braved the severe conditions just to be supportive. Many of them didn't even know runners, they're just nice people. It makes a huge difference.
• There was a stunning number of water and Gatorade stations, which is both convenient and life-saving, but there was surprisingly little in the way of food. Other races I've been to have at least offered bananas or runners "goo" to racers.
• I decided two days before the race that I was unhappy with all of my running shoes and socks. Sounds like a guy panicking, right? Well, I bought a new pair of shoes and a new style of socks, and wore them to the race, breaking the cardinal rule of marathon running: Don't do anything on race day that you haven't done in training. What I did was dumb, but thankfully worked out quite well.
• I brought some Sport Beans on the run, and only had a few, but really enjoyed them. They taste like Gatorade flavored jelly beans. I highly recommend them, even if you're not a distance runner.
• The first 5 miles are steadily downhill, the next 11 are relatively flat, and miles 16-21 are CRAZY!!! Somewhere between 20 and 21 is the famous "Heartbreak Hill". It is an ass-kicker. I have done very little hill-training, and that was immediately evident. I struggled to reach the top, ran for about 5 more minutes, and then the tank just ran out. I had to actually walk 3 miles, because the pain of running was so excruciating. I took the attitude that day that I would happily push myself right up to the point of nausea, but not to a level that risked injury. Well my legs felt like they were being stabbed by mile 21, and I was concerned that I was causing permanent damage.
• When I got to mile 24, I could see Boston's famous Citgo sign, and knew I was close. There were so many fans lining the streets, screaming their heads off, I felt compelled to run, despite the agony. I thought I owed these people that much. I didn't want my memory of the marathon's finish to involve walking, either.
• I hadn't really thought of this in advance, but, when you finish a marathon, you don't just magically beam to your living room sofa afterwards. Getting home in that exhausted condition was no picnic.
• My final time was 4:53. Not exactly a world-record pace, but only 8 minutes off my previous pace.
• I ran the race wearing my new Garmin GPS watch. that Lisa got me for my b-day. It was huge to know exactly what my pace and distance were at each point in the run. Interestingly, the watch concluded that I ran 26.48 miles, instead of 26.2. 1% higher than expected. This could be inaccuracy, but I bet it has more to do with me covering a lot of horizontal distance during the race as I passed other runners and hit water stations on either side of the road. I didn't think all of that would add up to nearly an extra 0.3 miles, but I guess it does.
• The chart below (supplied by my fancy watch) is a little tough to read, but the yellow line is the course I traced on a map, the brown line is my elevation (you can see heartbreak hill near mile 21), and the teal line is my pace. Because I took a one minute walk break every 8 minutes, the pace line ticks from ~10 minute-miles to ~16 minute-miles fairly regularly. You can see how I had to walk for a while after the big hill, too. [click the image to expand]

Comments

[Georgio]

QUOTE "Apparently, the announcer on TV said this was the worst weather for a marathon in the 110-year history of the event. Hard to prove that, but it was raining, 38º, and there were ~30 MPH gusts of wind, right in the face of the runners."

It was not the worst weather for the Boston marathon! In 2004 it was 85F and HUMID!, in 1987 it was 87F. I've run every year since 1999 and this year was one of the better running years in terms of the weather. Winter was nice as well, not too cold - unlike 2003/04 when I was out regularly in sub-0 and oft sub -30F wind chills (NEVER AGAIN!). It was a blessing that it was this cool this year! The reporter who said that clearly has little or no experience of running.

[Eric Gibson]

Hi Alex,
Thank you for writing about your experience bandetting the Boston. I am planning on doing the same for the first time this year. I have never run a marathon before so as you well know the nerves and self doubt are close to kicking in.... My wife has run marathons in the past and is a big help telling me what distances to run, when to run and more importantly when not to run... I could not have even attempted to run this race with out her help... I appreciate you taking the time to chronical your marathon experience. I think a lot of poeple try and bandit this race and with zero input from previous bandits it can be intimidating...
Thanks again.

[Tom]

I am planning on bandit-ing an upcoming marathon. I would certainly pay if I had the money - gladly - but I don't.
Maybe I'm a thief. But at least I'm an honest, responsible one.
Awhile ago I got arrested for 'stealing rides on trains' - they called it Theft Of Services. Looked to me like that train was going somewhere whether or not I was on it.
On the other hand I recently registered the car I just bought and paid all my taxes on it - I think I was the only person in the title office who hadn't happened to come by their car as a 'gift.'

I know bandit-ing is stealing. The same way waiters steal when they take tips under the table. The same way you steal from someone by paying them an unfair wage. The same way, if there's going to be a middle class, there has to be a lower one.

Evidently some theft is ok in this world, but other theft isn't.

I'm going to live my life by looking at my actions and asking, honestly, who they hurt, who they help, and, in the end, how the world will be different for my having been here. To me, that's being responsible - imagining my actions, multiplied 7-billion-fold. That's why I paid my taxes. That's why I would pay for this run if I could. That's why I wouldn't be doing it if I thought it was going to hurt anyone.
But to me it looks like that course is going to be there whether I run it or not.

[Barry]

Thanks for your posting. I live in Florida, but I grew up along the Boston route and would love to fulfull my life-long dream to run it. I can't run as a qualified runner and it's hard to figure out the logistics of running as a bandit from here in Florida. Last year I tried the the charities but they either give preference to MA residents or they clearly are looking for applicants who can promise the most pledges, well beyond the minimum. So I'd commit to running as a bandit, do the training and the travel, but I'm concerned about exactly how to get to the starting line. I understand that Hopkinton is sealed off on race day. I'd hate to go through the whole process and then run into problems on race day. How can I get information on a fool-proof plan to get to the start as a bandit? Any other methods of getting in the race that I'm overlooking?

[email protected]

[S McNiff]

The problem for out of state people to run bandit in Boston is getting to the race start line. I agree with the suggestion that you should get a taxi ride out from Boston, which will be expensive, but that is the best way. Once you get to the start area, you are actually in a residential neighborhood and do not have access to the staging area. Therefore, be prepared to sit on grass and wait in long lines at port-a-potties. Once you start you will not have a problem. I have run bandit four times without a problem. Each time I got a medal at the end and a shiny foil jacket! Everyone on the course is super nice. Just remember that historically the number of bandit runners exceeds 10,000. They are an unstoppable force and there is not attempt to stop them from running. The crazy hungover college kids would riot if they did.

[Dan Cocchiola]

Alex

I am banditing this coming Monday! Have known people who did it back in the 80s and 90s, but wasnt totally confident that it would work out this time.... your blog was really helpful! Thank you.

Dan Cocchiola

[Bonnie]

I ran the race bandit in 2008 and am running it again this year. Unlike Alex'x experiance, there were flocks and flocks of runners and spectators everywhere. The weather was nice and there were tons of candies and fruit being handed out including runner's 'goo'. More than you could ever need in the race. I got a ride to Hopkinton State Park and got on the buses there. Family and friends are allowed and we didn't have bibs. I stared at 10:30ish and finished at 2:30ish. No injuries and only stopped twice to use the porta potties (which there are plenty!). Its was very exciting and an unforgettable experiance. Worth all the training, sore muscles, blisters, and lost toenails. Don't forget your BodyGlide gel to prevent rashes!

[David]

This is great insight. I am from Shrewsbury and plan on running bandit in 2010. I was having trouble getting really psyched for training until I saw that I could definitely run it.

Congatulations on your run.

[George]

Yeah, thanks for stealing my thunder. I suppose you "stole" a medal and a mylar blanket as well? As a Boston qualifier, you're not getting any support from me. It took me 16 marathons and 8 years of hard work and training to put in a good enough effort to legally qualify and be accepted in the world's greatest marathon. Boston qualifiers make enormous sacrifices for years, not just physical sacrifices, but financial ones as well since many travel huge distances just to get to Hopkinton. You on the other hand scarificed nothing physically or financially and your finsih time of just under 5 hours is pathetic for your age group. You wouldn't have seen a finish line as little as 15 years ago because they used to take them down after 4 hours. The least you could have done is raise enough money for charity and get an entry, but you figured stealing an entry was simply easier. This speaks volumes of your integrity as a person. Pardon me now, I need to go vomit.

[april roughwood]

Hi... Thanks for you information. We all need to choose our own path, I think. It's too easy to judge others without really knowing what we're talking about.

I've qualified for Boston 3 times (last time '05), but have only run it once. My daughter is a senior at Wellesley this year and I want to run it and make her proud. Last year I signed up to run Boston for a charity, but ended up with a work comp injury in December. They still want their money, but I didn't raise it because I was injured and knew I couldn't run. So here I am, planning to run as a bandit. And I feel that that's ok.

[backwoodsman]

I am planning on bandit running Boston in 2010. I would gladly pay twice the entry fee to run officially. I have asked, pleaded, and begged sponsors and race officials for the opportunity. I did qualify and injured myself in the process. I went through months of physical therapy. I earned my spot, I qualified with one minute to spare. I just did not get registered before the registrations closed. If you read through the history of the Boston Marathon you will see that they have had more than the 25,000 participants in past races. Even though some people will not be able to run even after they have registered, they still do not have a waiting list. Even though they filled up the registrations months in advance they declined to open it to say 5,000 more runners. The registration fees would cover the added expense. I checked into running for a charity. I had to guaruntee to raise anywhere from $3500 to $4800 dollars to get a spot. I come from a very small town in a rural area. These economic times are hard on our community. I am also not from Mass. so the money raised from my small community would go to support charities that would not benefit this community. Even with those obstacles I was still willing to try. The point I stopped was when I was told that I would have to give them my credit card number and the balance of what I was unable to raise would be charged to my credit card. I have always put the Boston Marathon on a pedestal and have trained for years for this opportunity. My experience has opened my eyes to realize that this is just another race. Just a lot of people running together. Every excuse I have heard so far is lame. Are you people really trying to tell me that I am welcome to come as a spectator and use the port-a-johns, police and medical services, listen to the host on the microphone, look at those cones and fencing, look at the traffic signs and that is alright. But if I choose to run on public streets carrying my own water (hydration pack) and snacks to keep my energy up then I am not welcome. Well, so be it. I will still run proudly. And I plan on enjoying every minute of it.

[Jordan shoes]

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[Fred Johnson]

I also qualified for the 2010 marathon,but it was sold out in Nov. I will be banditing the race and would like to share a cab to the start. Will be staying at the Sheraton right by the finish line. If someone is interested in sharing a cab, meet me in the Shearton lobby on Sunday evening between 6:30-7:00pm. Look for a small sign.

[Beach Guy]

I ran this year. It was perfect conditions. There were no problems except that I missed my cousin (it was her birthday) and ended up carrying a 3 foot long balloon for 26.2 miles. My GPS also read longer than 26.2 by about the same margin. I actually asked permission before I ran - everyone was cool as long as I started from the back. Amazing crowds (particularly the Wellesley Scream and the beer stop in the Newton hills) and 27000 of your closest friends. Have fun!

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This marathon is really long i ran it and I'm still in recovery no im joking is just that if you not prepared you will fell the pain next day i guaranteed it

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[Bobby Michael]

Your info is much appreciated. I qualified for Boston, but was at Disney World with my family on registration day (10/18/10). Evernyone said I had a couple of days to register but I guess not this year as it sold out in 8 hours. With all that said I have no guilt in banditting this thing. What is the worst that can happen? A misdemeanor ticket? After all its public streets your running on.

I plan on making a $150 donation to the BAA in lieu of the registration fee to pay for my share of the drinks and support they provide during the race. I will keep my copy of the cancelled check with me during the race and if anyone tries to give me trouble I'll show it to them. Thanks again for the info and good luck to any banditters who aren't afraid in being creative to overcome adversity.

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