A marathon where the sight of every mile marker is a relief. My experience on running the marathon on Monday, April 16th.

Running a marathon is already hard. Running it with a weather condition like the one we had on marathon day was just brutal. Cold weather, mixed with torrential rain, and headwind with gusts close to 40 mph made it miserable not just for the runners, but for the volunteers and the crowd who braved the weather. And it was the crowd, volunteers and spectators alike, that pushed us, runners, to keep going and finish the race. And I sincerely thank them for this.

The days before (and after) the marathon were all perfect running days. Except for the actual marathon day. God decided to make this day special. It’s like testing us if we still have the same resolve 5 years after the Boston marathon bombing in 2013. Is Boston still strong? With the extra challenge from mother nature, 26,948 runners said yes. Plus the volunteers and spectators, yes, Boston Is Still Strong.

My Day. Upon arrival at the start, I stayed in the village tent, cramped with other runners trying to stay dry and warm before lining up at the start line. The whole area was puddle-level wet and muddy. I was wearing a pair of worn-out shoes while waiting. Changed shoes when our wave was called to the start. Apparel-wise, I had a disposable poncho over a waterproof jacket over a long sleeve mid layer, and a long tights over compression shorts. What I didn’t have was a pair of waterproof gloves. The solution? The zip lock bags we were allowed to carry for our pre-race food. On the way to the starting line, I looked for another one. Thin wool gloves + hand warmers + these zip lock bags – voila! – best waterproof hand covers!

Even with these layers, I still got soaked. But it was manageable. Most runners were covered with layers from head to toe. And then there were those wearing just shirts and shorts, like it was a summer weather! It was just unbelievable how their bodies can tolerate such conditions.

I think it was after mile 6 that I started looking for the next mile marker. And the next. And the next. This is how I finished the marathon, 1 mile marker at a time. I didn’t look at my watch. It was hidden under the jacket and the whole hand inside the zip-lock bag. And I was grabbing gatorade and water at the aid stations with this set up!

Just after mile 12, I started hearing very loud cheers up ahead. I thought it was coming from the halfway mark. I was wrong. It was the Wellesley College girls! And to borrow a phrase from a song, I kissed a girl, and I liked it 😉

The crowd support was really unbelievable, from Hopkinton start to Boston finish. It just became undeniably crazy when we reached Newton. Welcome to the Newton hills! They cheered on when everyone was suffering in the Newton hills. And when the hills were over at mile 21, a bigger crowd awaits to push the runners to go on. Last 5 miles to the finish! And for me, it was the crowd that brought me to the finish.

I almost cried when the course turned to Boylston St for the final stretch. The memories of 2013 all came back. Best crowd ever! I thanked God and my Boston angels, MR, LL, KC, SC, and crossed the finish line with a smile.

Thank You Boston.

ps. I did not achieve my goal time. But I enjoyed giving high-fives to kids cheering on the sidewalk, with stretched arms, waiting for total strangers to give them high-fives. Hey, they didn’t have to come out and cheer. But they did.