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Qualifying For The Boston Marathon

April 18, 2022 Leave a Comment

The Boston Marathon hype has been all over social media this past week and especially this week-end as the runners were gearing up for today’s race. Yes, Boston is back on its traditional schedule where it is ran on Patriot’s day each year. Changes in the marathon schedule had been made due to covid over the last couple of years. I woke up really early just to watch the race on TV. Exciting!

The Boston Marathon is unique in that to participate, you have to actually qualify by running another marathon that is certified as a Boston qualifier (BQ). Findmymarathon.com is one of many websites that lists qualifying marathons. This website gives info about the course of each race and also list the percentage of people that have qualified for Boston. Keep in mind that not everybody that is running those marathons are trying to qualify. Also, make sure the race is still a BQ prior to signing up for it. And Boston does include a number of slots for charity runners who raise a specified amount of money for the charity, but those runners still have to prove that they can run a marathon in under 6 hours.

Qualifying times are based on gender and age on the day of the marathon.

Source

However, just because you meet the qualifying standard doesn’t neccesarily mean you will get into Boston. This year is the first year since 2012 that everybody who registered actually got in with their qualifying time (mostly related to covid restrictions, vaccinations, and lack of qualifying races). In 2012, a new registration process began due to the number of runners wanting to get into Boston. This change allowed faster runners to register first and subsequently some runners did not get entry even though they qualified. There is a limit of 30,000 participants. In 2021, you had to beat your cut off time (a time below the qualifying time) by almost 8 minutes (7:47)! That is a lot of time when the qualifying times are already fast!

So if you want to qualify for Boston, you have to run faster than your qualifying time. But having to run faster means increasing your pace per mile obviously. At 62 years old, I would need to run 9 minutes and 55 seconds per mile just to qualify but to have at least a 10 minute buffer, I should run a 9:33 pace to finish in 4 hours and 10 minutes. Even if I jump up to the next age group of 65-69 (it will take that long if not longer), I would need to run a 10:30 pace per mile just to qualify and a 10:07 pace per mile to give myself a 10 minute buffer. Actually, those latter paces are doable for me as long as I can keep running.

Who knows, I may need to run even faster than the 10 minute cut-off time I am allowing for. In today’s Boston Marathon, the top 9 women in my age group ran under 3 hours and 30 minutes! And the top 13 in the 65-69 age group ran under 4 hours. As of this posting, Boston list 450 female runners in my age group who have finished the marathon. And 179 in the 65-69 age group. There are some serious older runners out there to compete for a qualifying spot. But, I am sticking to my plan of gradually increasing my strengthening and running and just hope it leads to Boston one of these days! A dream that I have been working towards ever since I started running marathons.

I am well on my way…. (:

Running and Strengthening

  • Monday Strengthening
  • Tuesday Run 2 miles
  • Wednesday Run 3 miles plus strengthening
  • Thursday Run 2 miles
  • Friday Strengthening
  • Saturday Run 3 miles
  • Sunday Rest (hung out with the kids for Easter)

I decided to run on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail in Anchorage on Saturday. I thought it would be a nice change in scenery plus it doesn’t have all the hills. However, I also thought that most of the snow and ice would be gone. But, that wasn’t the case at all.

The Tony Knowles Coasta Trail Anchorage Ak during April. Covered in snow still.

And the city looked pretty cool in the background.

A view of Anchorage from the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail

Family Fun

We got to spend the day with the grandkids coloring and hiding Easter eggs. So much fun! Tylor was so good with helping Charlie find her eggs without telling her exactly where they were. And Maddy was quick in finding the “hard to find” eggs.

That’s our week. Hope everyone had a good week as well!

Happy Running

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Sharing the challenges that I face while training for marathons in my 60s! I'm determined to reach these goals while also meeting life's demands and spending time with my awesome and very supportive family! Read More…

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Oh these hills!! I have advanced on my run/walk cy Oh these hills!! I have advanced on my run/walk cycles to a 4:1 ratio and my 4 min runs were up the hills!! Good training right? Swipe to see what happens every single time I put my mat down to do my exercises.  #ilovetorun❤️ #runalaska #runnersover60  #hillrunningishard #runningpartnerneedsarest
The wind died down today so we took a nice little The wind died down today so we took a nice little snow shoe up the mountain. The scenery was beautiful, just hard to capture it.  #snowshoeingadventures #snowshoealaska  #chugachmountains  #crosstraining #opt outside alaska
It’s been hard to get anything done or even thin It’s been hard to get anything done or even think about running with all that is happening in the world🥲 but I managed to get down my icy driveway to run on the dry roads. Super windy!!! I had a really hard time on the hills  against that wind. But I got it done and I increased my run/walk to a 4:1 ratio x 7 so I am happy about that. #runnersofalaska #runalaska #runwalkrun #runnersover60 #ilovetorun #buildingarunningbase #windyalaska #crazywinterweather
Sonja - @nurse_sonja_ak - and I had planned to cel Sonja - @nurse_sonja_ak - and I had planned to celebrate in memory of my Mother on her birthday but I had minor surgery that left me down and out longer than I had expected and Sonja ended up positive for Covid. But, despite that look what she did! She is so talented and creative. She remembered Mom as someone who was always stylish. She took pride in her appearance. A specific memory inspired Sonja to make these beautiful clay earrings! How special is that? My Mother would have loved these. #inmemory #rememberingyouonyourbirthday  #neverforgetyou  #bestdaughterintheworld❤️ #talenteddaughter❤️ #clayearrings #madespeciallyformom  #thelittlethings❤️
I’m obsessed with the sun finally clearing the m I’m obsessed with the sun finally clearing the mountains. Haha sunshine during my run is so nice. It wasn’t that bright today but it’s still shining ❤️#sunnydaysarehereagain #runningonsunshine #run #runnersover60 #runak #optoutside
My running views have just been awesome. I am inc My running views have just been awesome.  I am increasing my running time 3:1 this week. Keeping my fingers crossed that it goes well🤞 #runwalkrunrepeat #runnersover60 #backtorunning #buildingarunningbase #myrunningviews #runak #kneeosteoarthritis
Running with knee OA is interesting. Take yesterd Running with knee OA is interesting.  Take yesterday, my knees were bothering me a little, to the point that I wasn’t sure if I should run. But, I thought… give it a try, see how it goes. I can always just walk. And it went great! I even added an extra run/walk cycle to the program. And today I have absolutely no knee pain. I’m even running up and down stairs (when I need to go up them) trying to create some pain (I know sicko) but nothing??? Go figure! Nothing has changed. But hey, I’ll take it! #runningwithosteoarthritis #kneearthritis #runnersover60 #runwalkrun #kneepain #nokneepaintoday
Yay, the sun was briefly above the mountain for th Yay, the sun was briefly above the mountain for the first time since November! We will be gaining about 37 minutes of daylight this week! It’s the little things 😂  It was a beautiful Alaskan day but it was very cold!  I took a rest day today.  #restdayforrunners  #runnersover60 #olderwomenrunners #runak #winterwonderlandalaska #winterwonderland #readyforspringtime #optoutsideak
I wasn’t feeling like getting out today but my h I wasn’t feeling like getting out today but my hubby convinced me to go out for a ski. I did need to get in some cross-training so off we went. It actually was really nice to get out. Isn’t that usually the case?  #skiak #skieagleriver #crosstraining #optoutside #getoutside  #getfit #winterwinderland❄️
My running views today. I think I am finally settl My running views today. I think I am finally settling in to being back home and appreciating the beauty of the state. Don’t get me wrong though, I would be in a flight back to HawIi given the chance!! #runak #myrunningviews #buildingarunningbase #backtorunningagain #runwalkrun #winterwonderland #chimarathon2022
I’m not sure that I should go on vacation especi I’m not sure that I should go on vacation especially if I am going to have such a hard time adjusting back to the cold!  I’m beginning to believe that the cold and dark is not good for my health. It was soooo nice in Hawaii!! I’m still getting out for my runs and bike rides but I have been slow to get back to the exercises and stretching.  I’ll get there! #backtothecoldweather #runak #buildingarunningbase #crosstraining🚴#winterbiking🚴❄️ #fattirebiking #runnersover60  #keeponkeepingon🏃‍♀️
We are back to snow and ice. While we were away th We are back to snow and ice. While we were away the temps warmed up to in the 40s causing everything to melt just so it can freeze over once the temp drops!! Please send me back to #mauisun . We did get out for a bike ride today so it wasn’t too bad I guess. The new snow made conditions a little tolerable.  #winterinalaska #snowandice #fattirebiking #winterbiking #ilovemyfattirebike #ilovetorun #running2run #getfitalaska #optoutside
Hawaii Vacation Hawaii Vacation
Another awesome day in Hawaii with @nurse_sonja_ak Another awesome day in Hawaii with @nurse_sonja_ak  and fam! #vacaywithfamily  #familytimeisthebesttime💕  #hawaiiansunsetsnevergetold
Fun day at the beach! Even found a boardwalk to ge Fun day at the beach! Even found a boardwalk to get my run in. #familyfun❤️❤️ #spendingtimewithfamily❤️ #familyiseverything
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