On Saturday evening in Boston, Marathon Handbook hosted a “Mile Zero” party in Boston.
It brought together about 100 MH friends and a handful of elite guests who ran the marathon on Monday.
The guests included age-group marathon legends Jeannie Rice and Gene Dykes; famed marathon physiologist Andy Jones (and his marathon running wife, Emma); and Louise Burke, widely regarded as the world’s top endurance nutritionist.
Also in attendance were MH editors Katelyn Tocci and Amby Burfoot, winner of the 1968 Boston Marathon. Another MH editor, Brady Holmer, writer of the “Run Long, Run Healthy” newsletter, was also in Boston to run, but could not make it to the Saturday evening event.
Here’s how the above runners fared on Marathon Monday, along with their post-race comments.
Brady Holmer—2:24:36, 18-39 division
I ran a 2-minute PR today but had to WORK for it. Boston eats you up and spits you out. Wasn’t the Newton Hills that got me, but the early downhills that made my quads pay in the final 10k.
This race is absolutely electric. Not a single spot without fans 3-rows deep. I think I gave out 100+ high-fives. What an experience.
Couldn’t have asked for a better block of training and things clicked today. Now for some rest and planning what’s next.
Katelyn Tocci—3:29:26, 40-44
I’m not sure what happened, but my race did not go as planned. I think I ran it looking back, and not forward.
I ran my first marathon at Boston in 2003, shortly after losing my mother. This year, I returned to Boston with high expectations. I trained hard, did everything “right” on paper. But something wasn’t right on the inside.
I found myself looking at the sky, the trees, the faces in the crowd. With each kilometer, I drifted closer to the memory of 2003 … and my mother. I thought 20 years would be enough to heal, but it seems grief has no expiration date. At times, I felt like I was running with a stone on my chest. It wasn’t physical fatigue—it was the weight of memory, of love, of loss.
Near Heartbreak Hill, I began to realize that a marathon isn’t so much about setting personal records as it is about finding peace amid the chaos. It’s about moving forward, even when your heart is broken.
I crossed the finish line slower than I hoped. Yet I know I will return. I don’t need to redeem myself. But Boston—with everything it represents—is part of my story. And I will keep writing it, one step at a time.
Emma Jones—3:33:33, 50-54
I ran consistently, at least if you look at my finish time—all 3’s. Actually, I was slightly disappointed as I felt I was in shape for a 3:29.
Still, I was only 37 seconds off my personal best from Valencia, and today’s race was a better effort, given the tough Boston course profile vs the flat course in Valencia. The crowd support was truly amazing, and I loved the “Scream Tunnel” at Wellesley College. That brought a real smile to my face.
I felt comfortable most of the way, and I thought I might achieve a personal best, but those Newton hills were my undoing. I didn’t think any one of them was particularly bad, but the combination was tough, along with the generally undulating nature of that part of the course.
Louise Burke—3:38:13, 65-69 (7th place in division)
This was my first Boston. I did 3:38:18 and was pleasantly surprised with the time. My prep was sub-optimal so I ran without a watch and according to comfort. I hoped I would break 4, but I didn’t know by how much until the end!
I loved the race – perfect day, beautifully organised, crowds to cheer you when the going got tough, and lots of race nutrition support. It’s a challenging course. Those hills separate the well-prepared from the pretenders, and running downhill exaggerates the muscle soreness, while running uphill is my least favourite activity. The last 2 miles were amazing with the backdrop of the fantastic city and the screams of the spectators.
I was wearing iPods in case I needed some music to motivate me, and Bruce Springsteen popped up with “Born to Run” at mile 25, so we crossed the line together. Even better, Siri read out a WhatsApp to me at mile 20 when I was feeling those hills. It was my son tracking me from Florence, Italy (studying abroad), telling me “Go Mummy! Run like a dinosaur is chasing you”. That gave me such lift! In fact, to my surprise, I may have run an Australian age record. Thanks, Boston.
Jeannie Rice—4:27:17, 75-79 (first place in division, despite running easy with injury)
I couldn’t race today with my leg injury, and I wasn’t even sure if I would be able to cover 26 miles. But I slowed my pace by 2 minutes per mile, and I was able to jog all the way through. I had so much fun talking to other runners along the way. So many requested that I take pictures with them. I had the best time! I found out that I won my age-group anyway, but I don’t feel that I really deserve it. My leg doesn’t feel very good now, but it’s not terrible either. I’ll take some time off, and then hope to bounce back again.
Gene Dykes—4:31:16, 75-79
I figured I would be able to squeeze out a 4:30, and I did, but it was like squeezing blood from a stone. My legs were so dead with absolutely no feeling in them. I am so looking forward to my racing sabbatical that starts right now. I figure I’ll take at least a year to regain the ability to train again. I’ll jog now and then, and do some of those things that I’ve eschewed until now, like strength training and core work.
Jeannie and I are almost exactly the same age [they were born a few days apart], and we ran almost the same time today. She finished first, and I finished 18th. She did a great job.
Amby Burfoot—4:51:47, 75-79
I had a good day by running to my fitness rather than pushing hard the first half, and hoping for a miracle (Never happens). I used a 3:1 run-walk from the start, running 3 minutes and walking 1 minute. My big goal was a negative splits effort. I didn’t hit it, but I was only a couple of minutes slower the second half than the first half. And I felt much better the last 10 miles than I did the previous two years.
I think I set a record for longest gap from first Boston to last. My first was 1965, so Monday was 60 years later. It looks like “Old John” A. Kelley finished his first in 1933 and last in 1992 for a gap of 59 years. But he started seven years later than me, and was 84 at the time of his last full Boston. To me, he’ll always be the GOAT, because he was so far ahead of his time.
