Boston Marathon Weekend Recap
It was a historic Marathon Monday—and a hot one. Tough conditions made for dramatic racing.
It’s (one of) the biggest and best weekends of marathoning in the U.S., and the 2024 Boston Marathon did not disappoint.
I traveled to Boston with adidas and kicked things off with the B.A.A. 5K—this race, which I ran for just the second time, is so much fun, with 10,000 runners and tons of spectators in town going all in on all marathon weekend activities. The course starts at the Boston Commons (it’s extremely crowded at the start, just like Cherry Blossom) and runs west onto Commonwealth Avenue. After running under Massachusetts Avenue, runners turn around and pass back under it on the other side of the road, following the Boston Marathon course towards Hereford Street, where you make that famous right turn, climb up the hill then turn left onto Boylston to run the last stretch of the marathon (through Monday’s finish line!) before continuing back to the Commons for the finish. It’s a great way to experience the marathon course and get a little bit of that Marathon Monday thrill.
I decided to shoot for a PR because YOLO, and was on track for 2.4 miles when I suddenly got a gnarly abdominal cramp that slowed me down to a run/walk. (Yes, I wore the adidas Adios Pro Evo 1s, because why wouldn’t you wear a world record-setting marathon shoe for a 5K if you have it?!) I’m going to blame the cramp on eight-hour flight the day before, staying up for 21 hours straight, and underfueling and underhydrating for the better part of the week. I still considered the race a good sign of where my fitness is at!
The Boston vibes were strong from Saturday morning on. This weekend is so much more than Marathon Monday; honestly, I’m glad I wasn’t running because there’s so much going on in the preceding 72 hours that I would have been absolutely fried before getting to the start line. The brand shakeouts continue to grow, with Adidas, ASICS (with Believe in the Run), Tracksmith, and Rabbit (with Kofuzi) bringing out record numbers. It’s almost too overwhelming to actually shake out, and good luck to the runners attending multiple events, panels, etc., and racking up 20,000 steps in the days leading up to the race.
Everyone woke up on Marathon Monday to a beautifully sunny day—great for spectators, less promising for the marathoners. It was already 53°F in Hopkinton at 7 a.m., and mostly sunny with a projected high of 68°F in Boston and, blessedly, a tailwind. I parked myself at the finish line to capture the winners and the rollercoaster of emotions from the approximately 35,000 runners.
The men’s field was FAST. Two-time defending Boston champ Evans Chebet was aiming to win his third straight Boston Marathon title, and there were five other sub-2:05 runners, including Sisay Lemma, the fourth fastest man in history at 2:01:48. Lemma broke away early, hitting halfway in barely over an hour (nearly world record pace!), and holding a significant lead for the majority of the race to clock a 2:06:17 finish.TBH, it made for slightly boring spectating because there was no real competition. Mohamed Esa finished second (2:06:58) and Chebet came in third (2:07:22). The top American was C.J. Albertson, who placed seventh in a personal best of 2:09:53.
It feels like every recent major marathon has bragged about having the deepest women’s field ever assembled, but Boston really did. There were four returning champions in the pro women’s race: Hellen Obiri (2023), Edna Kiplagat (2017 and 2021), Des Linden (2018), and Caroline Rotich (2015). There were also two sub-2:20 women who’ve won a marathon in the last year: Workenesh Edesa and Mesiret Belete, and the 2022 New York City Marathon champ Sharon Lokedi. Emma Bates, returning after withdrawing from the Olympic Marathon Trials with a plantar injury, and Sara Hall, who did run the Trials just 10 weeks ago, were also in the mix.
The women stayed together in a pack of around 20 (!) for the majority of the race. Bates took the lead multiple times (and even Linden led the charge at one point), but Obiri, Lokedi, and Kiplagat opened up a gap around 23, with the first two dropping a 4:41 mile at mile 24. It looked like they were heading for a battle down Boylston, but in Kenmore Square, with about a mile to go, Obiri dropped Lokedi and went on to repeat her win from last year, finishing in 2:22:37—that makes her just the seventh woman to have repeated a win in the history of this race. Lokedi finished just seven seconds behind (2:22:45), and Kiplagat came in third (2:23:21), earning the master’s title for the third time. Kiplagat’s longevity in the sport is incredible; she’s 44 and has been winning marathons since 2011. I love what Erin Strout had to say on X:
I'll never forget 8ish years ago at the NYC Marathon, interviewing Edna Kiplagat along w/other reporters—one of them asked how much longer she thought she would be competitive, given her age (!!). She just rolled her eyes (as she should have). 3rd today at the Boston Marathon.
Emma Bates was the first American woman to cross the finish line in 2:27:14, repeating her top spot from last year and coming in 12th overall (she was high-fiving fans mid-race, and, yes, I handed her a celebratory Modelo). Sara Hall finished 15th in 2:27:58 (on her 41st birthday!) and 2018 champion Des Linden finished just behind her in 2:28:27. Watching Linden run into Hall and Bates’ arms really summed up what I love about women’s running right now: Yes, these women are competitors, but they’re all better athletes when they support each other—and that support is what has helped elevate the sport. You really don’t see it on the men’s side.
Today’s conditions were rough, and that was very clear from the early carnage at the finish line. Boston weather is notoriously unpredictable: 2018 saw torrential rains and a high of 50°F, while 2021 was 69°F with 88 percent humidity and 2022 was 54°F with 43 percent humidity. Today’s temperatures peaked at around 70°F, and the Boston Athletic Association said 77 runners had been taken to local hospitals as of 6 p.m. Monday. (Once again, I ask, how hot is too hot for a marathon?) The real MVPs were the nearly 100 Boston EMS members working along the course and in the finish area—I actually saw one catch a woman’s head before it hit the pavement after she lost control of her legs.
Unfavorable conditions often bring out the best in runners when it comes to the community side of the sport, and for every runner weaving, tottering, and crawling their way to the finish line, there were at least two runners offering a helping hand or shoulder to lean on. I saw multiple runners physically carrying others across the finish line, and the crowd was deafening as it cheered in the runners struggling the most. In one of the more emotional moments, a woman who had been pushing a chair the whole time stopped just before the finish line, helped the older man inside the chair to stand and walk himself across it.
I’m always a little sad to miss the action in the rear of the course, but one of the best parts of spending the better part of the day in the same spot is getting to see the myriad emotions that come with completing the oldest and most prestigious marathon in the world. Runners came through with cheek-splitting smiles or in tears; some jumped for joy while others stopped and kissed the ground; and I lost count of how many runners finished with a shout of exultation. Strangers held hands and partners hugged and kissed. (And so, so, so many runners finished with their cell phones out, documenting every second.)
Completing a marathon under grueling conditions can feel like you’ve something primal—and yet it’s something you’re sharing with the countless people around you. That feeling can be indescribable, but it’s also unforgettable. And getting to witness it is almost as special.
ICYMI, these were some of the best reads going into race weekend:
I have to plug my own interview with Emma Bates for Outside Run; she and her coach Joe Bosshard were very open about her post-injury build-up and, while she did not crack the top five, she put in an impressive performance on a tough day to come in top American for a second time.
Runner’s World chatted with 2014 Boston Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi who returned to the course this year with a new sponsor, New Balance, and, for the first time ever, super shoes (the FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4). He finished in 3:08:58 (and it did not look like it was easy for him).
The Wall Street Journal published a great story on Buzunesh Deba, who in 2016 was elevated from runner-up to the number one spot for the 2014 Boston Marathon after the original winner was disqualified for doping—and the fact that the race still hasn’t paid her the $100,000 winner’s fee that it owes her.
The fourth 26.TRUE marathon, which was created by PIONEERS Run Crew and follows a route through more diverse neighborhoods than the predominantly white Boston Marathon, was held on Saturday; the Boston Globe did a great write-up beforehand.
the rundown
Nike Pegasus Premium
The tried-and-true Nike Pegasus is getting a major upgrade in the form of a whole new model. The Pegasus Premium is the brand’s take on a super trainer: In addition to a combo of ZoomX foam in the midsole and ReactX foam under the heel, it includes a full-length Air Zoom “plate” that’s sculpted to the natural profile of the foot and aids with heel to toe transition. Unlike a rigid carbon plate, which snaps your foot forward, this new Air Zoom unit has a little give to it, which rolls the foot forward while allowing it to move a little more naturally. It’s Nike’s first addition to the super trainer category, and it felt really light and bouncy during a brief try-on—unfortunately, Nike is still fine-tuning the design and the shoe won’t be available until 2025, so it’ll be awhile before any real test runs.
Nike Is Losing Ground With the Teens
Speaking of the Swoosh, Nike is…not doing as well as it has in the past. A report in Retail Dive details how it’s retaining its influence as the top clothing and shoe brand for teenage consumers (topping Lululemon), but is losing ground to other footwear brands, particularly Hoka and On (Alo Yoga and Vuori also saw dramatic spikes in popularity on the apparel front). This echoes an earlier article from the Financial Times, which detailed how Nike is trying to restructure and reinvest in its running and women brand divisions. It will be interesting to see if Nike can make up some of that ground in an Olympic year—they’re certainly going all in on flashy marketing (more on that next week!) leading up to the Paris Games.
Running Injuries and Contributing Factors
Nearly half of all recreational runners sustain injuries, research shows. A new study from the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports looked at three common injury locations (the patellofemoral joint, tibia, and Achilles tendon) and found that "changes in running speed, surface gradient, and step frequency lead to disproportional changes in relative cumulative damage on different structures.” Increases in running speed increased cumulative damage at the knee, while uphill running increased damage to the tibial and Achilles tendons (downhill had the reverse effect), and increases in cadence reduced damage to all tissues. It’s info worth keeping in mind when considering how and where you run!
Track and Field Becomes First Sport to Pay Olympic Winners
While winning generally leads to endorsement deals and other financial opportunities, Olympic athletes actually aren’t guaranteed money if they podium—until now. World Athletics will be awarding $2.4 million across 48 events to give Olympic gold medalists $50,000, the Washington Post reported (silver and bronze medal-winning athletes will receive tiered cash prizes starting with the 2028 Games in Los Angeles). While most countries pay athletes varied amounts, this move makes track and field the first sport to compensate winners for the “commitment and focus it takes to even represent your country at an Olympic Games,” World Athletics president Seb Coe said. The prize money will come out of the share of Olympic revenue the International Olympic Committee distributes to World Athletics.
“From a Rocky Start, Dakotah Lindwurm Emerges With Unshakeable Self-Belief,” Runner’s World
As fun as it is to root for the top contenders, it’s the (seemingly) out-of-nowhere marathon phenoms that really capture people’s hearts. This feature, written by Taylor Dutch, on Dakotah Lindwurm, one of the two surprise Team USA members, is a must-read. She not only talks about walking onto her Division II track team and pro training group, but about experiencing periods of homelessness as a teen, nursing her mother through lung cancer until her death in May, and how she believes her persistence and dedication will help her prepare for Paris.
No one paints the Boston Marathon weekend picture better. The BAA needs to take note!