Boston Marathon April Series: Hopkinton to Boylston — Boston by the Mile
“In Kenmore Square stood the baseball immortal Ted Williams. He was clapping with admiration for all who passed. A friend actually heard him say, ‘now those are the real athletes’.”
We’ve made it… happy Boston Marathon weekend! The absolute best, most festive weekend of the year in the city of Boston, and the culmination of months of hard work and training for 30,000 runners gearing up to toe the line on Marathon Monday.
This year will be my twelfth time running this historic race, and it honestly never gets old for me. Being able to run such an iconic course in the city I live, running by friends and family on familiar roads in familiar towns is such an incredible experience. Here is my breakdown of the Boston Marathon, in my personal experience, mile by mile.
GETTING TO THE START LINE — BOSTON TO HOPKINTON
I would be remiss if I started my marathon guide at mile 1, and ignored one of the most exciting parts of the day - the journey from Boston to Hopkinton. While in recent years I have had my wife and dogs escort me to the Athlete’s Village drop-off in our own car, for those visiting from out of town and for first time Boston runners, I highly recommend taking the buses from the Boston Common. Not only does this take out much of the stress about getting to the start line, the running vibes are high. You’ll be surrounded by thousands of runners and have the opportunity to meet people from all over the world, and hear about their journey to get to Boston. Just don’t forget to get to the Boston Common a little early—the lines for the buses form quickly!
MILES 1 and 2: HOPKINTON
Ahhh, the start of the iconic race, in a small town 26 miles west of Boston. Hopkinton absolutely comes alive on Marathon Monday - expect the start line to be packed with local spectators who take pride in hosting the kickoff to the party! While the crowds thin out quickly, the first two miles are a bit crowded and chaotic, as runners clamor for space on the narrow road. Be careful about dodging and weaving through slower runners here - that is a recipe for disaster and can lead to rolled ankles, “flat tires,” and a ton of wasted energy spent zig-zagging. My best advice is to ride these miles out - the net downhill here is 310 feet, so while not a sharp downhill, the decline is enough to make you feel faster than you should be at the start of a very long race!
MILES 3 and 4: ASHLAND
Welcome to the second town on the course! And no offense to residents of Ashland, but this stretch is… boring. The road is still narrow, the views are still rural, but runners are treated to some random businesses and industrial parks along the sidelines. Spectators definitely exist here, but this feels like a sparse area of the course, compared to other areas. One thing to look out for? A personal highlight of mine is the statue memorializing Spencer, the official golden retriever mascot of the Boston Marathon! For years, this beloved pup stood around the mile 3 marker in Ashland, holding two Boston Marathon signs in his mouth. After his passing, the town erected a statue in his honor. Hug the left side of the road just before the 3 mile mark to catch a glimpse of Spencer’s statue!
A quick runner’s note on the first four miles of the race, if looking for strategy, can best be summarized by the legendary running coach Jack Daniels, who stated, “Main thing to concentrate on in those early miles is good leg turnover and don’t let the easy downhill running lead to stride lengthening, which will result in the quads taking a beating early and feeling not so good later on. Don’t concentrate on going faster early, but if it happens without any extra effort, it shouldn’t be too bad. Maybe most importantly, the first five miles of the Boston course are downhill and it is easy to put in some faster-than-average mile times in those first five.”
MILES 5-7: FRAMINGHAM
The next town on the early miles of the course is Framingham. This is where the crowd begins to come alive again—and the hills begin. While the beginning of the course has a few smaller, rolling hills, this is the first “noticeable” hill on the course, in my opinion. Framingham has a bustling town center lined with spectators on both sides, but be warned of the sneaky train tracks that cross the road here - this can be a rolled ankle waiting to happen! The later part of Framingham has wider roads, and runners can hit their stride and potentially find a crew to stick with.
MILES 8-10: NATICK
The wider roads and bigger spectator crowds continue into Natick. This is, lowkey, one of my favorite parts of the race. Not only am I hitting my pace and feeling good (hopefully), Natick town center is usually packed with energy, something that Is very much needed after the more rural and industrial vibes of the early miles of the race. However, be warned, right before Natick Center, at mile 9, is one of the more quiet parts of the race. You pass a lake and the crowds are thin to nonexistent, but keep in mind, in just one mile, you will feel like an absolute rock star!
The crowds in Natick tend to party hard—don’t be surprised if you’re offered a beer or a shot along this part of the race (but strongly discourage imbibing in this!) I always get a huge energy boost from people watching at mile 10-10.5 of the race.
MILES 11-15: WELLESLEY AND THE HALFWAY POINT!
Wellesley is a rollercoaster of emotions. The fifth town on the marathon course, this is one of the most wild parts of the course. Entering Wellesley from Natick is very wooded and quiet (mostly small pockets of spectators here), but this quiet energy will not last long. Mile 12 is home to Wellesley College, and the famous “scream tunnel.” This mile is absolutely electric. The side of the course is packed with screaming students (mostly female) holding ridiculous, cheeky signs (and may try to even kiss you!) The scream tunnel is along Route 135, and the tradition of coming out to loudly support runners dates back to 1897, but really ramped up in female support when women were finally allowed to run the Boston Marathon in 1972. This area is such an incredible part of the race, as it leads directly to the center of Wellesley and the halfway point. Mile 13 (especially 13.1) is super high energy and very loud. There are tons of businesses around here that set up awesome cheer zones—Lululemon and B/Spoke both usually have DJs and draw huge crowds. Run right up next to the spectators to soak in the experience and get a major boost, but be warned; don’t go too fast and get too hyped at this point. Wellesley is incredible, but can also trick you into going out of your pace plan because of the huge crowds and loud cheering. Don’t forget, you still have another half marathon to go!
Runner’s notes on this section of the race: This is the last stretch before the beginning of the infamous Boston hills of Newton. While many runners describe this part of the race as being relatively flat, it’s still New England, so nothing is ever completely flat. Think more rolling hills as opposed to steep climbs.
MILES 16 and 17: NEWTON, THE BEGINNING OF THE HILLS
Coming off the relatively flat stretch of mileage after the halfway point, runners enter Newton Lower Falls, first marked by a steep downhill and then the ups and downs of the second half of the race begin! Almost immediately upon entering Newton, town #6 on the marathon journey, runners are greeted by a climb over the Route 128 overpass, arguably one of the toughest parts of the course. This stretch can catch runners a bit off guard, as many expect the rollercoaster of inclines and declines to begin by the Firehouse turn, but this stretch exposes runner’s legs to a long, slow incline and the elements, as there is no shade at this part of the course and the crowds thin out on the actual overpass. This part of the race is always a bit of a mindf*ck for me, as my legs are starting to fatigue and are working hard on this part of the course with light crowd support. I usually use this as a moment to slow down and regroup as I know the bigger, more well-known hills are on the horizon. Know that just beyond the overpass you run by the Newton-Wellesley Hospital, which usually draws huge crowds and gives you a much needed boost after the “highway to hell” you just ran over. Mile 17 is also the location of the Newton Fire Station, better known to runners as the “Firehouse Turn,” which is PACKED with spectators and the first of several bigger hills. Don’t make the same rookie mistake I did; I confused the first firehouse hill as Heartbreak Hill, but this is really just the first of several hills coming your way. While the inclines are tough, the spectators are incredible. Use their energy to power up the hills!
MILES 18 and 19: NEWTON, CON’T. A BRIEF REPRIEVE
Right after the firehouse hill is a brief section of flat, and even sometimes slightly downhill, road. This is a wonderful opportunity to catch your breath and prep for Heartbreak Hill. This section also draws a ton of locals as this stretch weaves through beautiful residential areas of Newton. The crowds here really get into the marathon, so hug the sidelines and give out some high fives!
MILES 20 and 21: NEWTON, HEARTBREAK HILL
Oh BABY, here we go! As soon as runners cross the mile 20 marker, Heartbreak Hill is visible. Heartbreak is not infamous because of its incline—it’s more well-known (and feared) because of its placement on the course. This half mile hill starts at mile 20.25 and climbs 95 feet until mile 20.75. While these stats are not drastic, this happens at a crucial time in the race when runners are hitting the wall and legs (and entire body, to be honest) are fatigued. I remember the first time I ran Heartbreak, I wasn’t deterred by its “steepness” but rather by its seemingly rude placement on the course. This hill got its name in 1936, when defending Boston Marathon champion Johnny Kelley passed Ellison Hill on Heartbreak, giving him a pat on the back as he ran by. This lit a fire inside Hill, who ended up surging past Kelley and winning the race.
According to an article in Sports Illustrated, “Boston Globe reporter Jerry Nason famously wrote that the man nicknamed 'Tarzan,' ‘ran down John Kelley on the hill, breaking his heart.’” While this is one of the most challenging half miles on the race, don’t be so deterred by the incline that you forget to take in the moment. There is a massive banner at the top of the hill that lets runners know that “Heartbreak is now behind them,” and the Heartbreak Hill running company comes out in full force at the start of the hill to pump up runners. Spectators know how much runners need a boost at this part in the course, and year after year, they deliver.
Runner’s tip for the Newton Hills from Boston champion and running legend Des Linden: “In the Newton hills, the downhills are really great to recover and regroup and get yourself mentally ready for the next climb.”
MILES 21 and 22: BOSTON COLLEGE
PARTY CITY. This area of the course is such an incredible vibe. Coming off Heartbreak, you enter the Boston College area, which is absolutely packed with partying college students. This part of the course always fires me up, as students scream loudly in your face and offer plenty of high fives and fist bumps. This part of the course always makes me feel like an absolute rock star, and it’s such a great feeling knowing you’re about to make the turn onto Beacon Street that will lead you into the city and to the finish line.
MILES 23-25: BEACON STREET & COOLIDGE CORNER & BOSTON
This part of the course is always super tough, mentally and physically for me. Coming into Brookline, runners are treated to unexpected rolling hills (while nowhere near anything in Newton, this is definitely not a flat part of the course), and the spectators feel a little far away from the course. This always trips me out coming off the high energy of Heartbreak and BC, and sometimes the spectators are not only far away, but a little quiet. This may be my personal experience, as I’m sure I’m beginning to see in tunnel vision at this part of the course. At the 40K mark, you cross into Boston which is an awesome feeling—the last town (city) on the marathon course.
THE LAST 1.2 MILES
RUNNERS—You made it. Welcome home. This is not an easy last mile to the finish line, but you are in the home stretch. After crossing into the city at the 40k mark, runners are treated to a little dip in the road. You pass underneath the “Boston Strong” painting on the overpass leading into Kenmore Square (full body chills here) and “1 Mile To Go” is painted on the asphalt. The crowds are absolutely insane from here until the finish. You pass the iconic Citgo sign and Fenway Park, and don’t underestimate the overpass incline here. Ride the vibes through this part of the course, but gear up for the downhill and sharp uphill on Commonwealth Avenue underneath Mass Ave. There are no crowds here, and this is where I have seen many runners stop to walk, or worse. You just have to kind of grind here, because emerging from that underpass is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. The crowds are HUGE and insanely loud as you turn onto Hereford and Boylston. This moment is everything. Boylston is very long, and the finish line feels very far away, but the sound of the crowd is deafening and absolutely magical.
And there it is… my recap of the Boston Marathon course as I remember it, and based on my own experience. However, words and descriptions from memory could never do this course justice. Yes, there are lulls, yes, there are hills, yes, the weather can be unpredicatable… but nothing compares to the magic and the legacy of this course. If you aren’t running on marathon Monday, get outside and cheer. It will move you, it will inspire you, and it will remind everyone in the city that we are #BOSTONSTRONG.
Xo