Boston UK Marathon – 16th April 2023
by Paul Smith
My last marathon, having being stuck on 58 completed marathons, since June 2022, was a North East Marathon Club event at Herrington Country Park and since then through several reasons, not excluding loss of marathon mojo, I haven’t ran the classic distance, and longer distance training runs have also been minimal.
Suddenly, on Sunday 16th April 2023 I find myself lined up on the start line of The Boston Marathon …… Boston, Lincolnshire, UK, not, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. On the back of one 16 mile training run, a couple of 10 milers and a Saturn Running Half Marathon, dressed as rock guitarist Slash from Guns ‘n’ Roses as one does, along with my every day of run streak, I’m about to embark on 26.2 miles once more.
Quaint, Historic, Market Town of Boston provides the setting, with start line literally less than 5 minutes’ walk from the cosy accommodation of The White Hart, which I’d strongly recommend and there I am with no loitering or hanging around necessary as Councillor Anne Dorrian is in the market place looking resplendent in her mayoral robes and finery sounds the starting klaxon and away we go.
Into the first mile and a female Steel City Strider informs me that it is her first marathon and asks how many I’ve done, the reply, was “one or two”, we chat and keep a steady pace around the flat country roads, and I mean FLAT, taking in all of the fields of produce including wafts of differing aromas, cabbages, turnips, you catch my drift. Both Christine, the marathon debutant and I maintain our even pace and others latch onto us and at times we have a nice bit of grouping going on, like you see happening on televised major marathons with the leading group, only difference none of us were that fast or of African origin, but, we helped each other nevertheless.
The miles were ticked off and as expected the pace slowed down, but not dramatically. it has to be said and the last 3 to 4 miles we needed to dig in and help each other along. We both crossed the finish line in 4:39:05 to be awarded with medals, tee shirt and free massage, courtesy of physiotherapist students from Boston College. Post marathon photos taken, then relaxation and recovery back the hotel, then quick pint in The Stump and Cross pub, before returning to White Hart for a scrumptious evening meal.
I would strongly recommend you Crookites, to give this marathon a go, especially if you are focused and targeting a marathon PB course, my only disappointment is, that I didn’t run this event 25 years ago, it certainly would have been a sub 3 hour PB for me on younger legs.
