When I ran the Boston Marathon 2015, I re-qualified to be in the 2016 race, if I wanted to do it again. I finished the 2015 Boston Marathon in 3:23, which means I was over 10 minutes faster than the qualifying time for my age and gender.
However, I don’t want to be in the 2016 race for a really good reason…
No, this year’s bad weather did not scare me from doing it again next year. No, I’m definitely not angry that I ran slower than I would have liked and did not get a personal best on the historic course.
When I registered for the race back in September of 2014, I was shocked at the number of people who ran a qualifying time and did not get accepted into the 2015 field.
An astonishing number, nearly 2000 people, worked so hard to run a qualifying time and they did not get to go. For some, that may have been the only chance they had to run the race.
Many runners dream of finishing the Boston Marathon. It’s a huge accomplishment and finishing it, to the average runner out there, feels like you just went to the Olympics. It’s a bucket list item for many runners.
Finishing the Boston Marathon was my dream too. Ever since I was 15 years old, it was my life goal to proudly wear the beautiful and coveted finisher’s medal.
I feel so fortunate that it finally came true for me in 2015. I overcame quite a few setbacks, from past injuries to financial difficulties while I was a student, but in the end, despite the fact that I didn’t break 3:10, I still emerged victorious across the finish line.
I didn’t need to win that race (especially given that the elites run it about 45 min faster than me)or break 3:10 for it to be called a victory. Finishing was a personal victory and it was a good stepping stone for what has to happen next.
Since many runners dream of finishing the Boston Marathon, I felt that if I skipped the 2016 race, then it will allow another runner to achieve their dream. I wanted my qualifying spot to go to someone who hasn’t done it before.
It could be someone’s first and last chance to race the Boston Marathon and I don’t want to be greedy and take that away from them. If every Boston Marathon finisher thought this way, then maybe more first-timers would get a chance to check this item off their bucket list. Every runner who worked hard to qualify for Boston earned every right to be there.
I can always re-qualify when I get faster, which brings me to my next point. I feel like I need to get faster before I attempt the course again. It’s a very technical and challenging course. I’m also going to be racing in a different part of the world in 2016, focusing on a different kind of racing challenge (more on that later).
I hope that every person who dreams of finishing the Boston Marathon gets to experience that joy so they too could celebrate their personal victory. THAT is why I gave up my spot in the 2016 race. I know that it probably won’t make a big difference (or any at all) in the number of first-timers that get to go to Boston, but it’s the least I can do.
Thank you for reading.