On Sunday morning, we get over to the race staging area for Laura to run the Inaugaral BAA 5K. We meet a woman leaving our hotel who apparently trusts us enough after the 5 minute walk to leave me her cell phone and credit card until after the race. I stake a spot out in the bleachers near the finish. They have a race announcer and a JumboTron, so it is pretty cool. The top men's finisher does a 14:29, and the woman runs a 17:37. The fourth place woman was only 5 seconds behind at 17:42 (and 2 seconds out of 3rd place) - Joan Benoit Samuleson, 1983 Boston Marathon Champion, and winner of the first Women's Olympic Marathon in 1984 in Los Angeles. (Joan is now 51!) Katherine Switzer was instrumental in getting the women's marathon added to the Olympics. Laura saw "Kathy" moving to the back of the pack before the race, and after race was talking to Joan. At first Joan was going to take a finisher's medal, but when she saw that Laura's had "Inagural BAA 5K", she decided to pick it up.
After the 5K, they had an Invitational Mile race, another first for Boston. First they had two top High School runners from every town along the marathon route run. The girls finished in about 5:10. The boys in about 4:37. It was three loops around the city block by the finish line, and real exciting with the video screen, and the announcers. There was a real strategy, and it was definitely more about winning than a certain time. I talked to the coach of one of the girls teams, and she said they treated the kids great, and gave them about $500 in merchandise.
The elite men finished in about 4:11. The woman's elite field featured Carrie Tollefson, and Shalane Flanagan, an up and coming Boston runner. Shalane lead most of the race, but the woman that trailed her (Anna Willard) until the final lap, pulled ahead in the last 200 meters to win in 4:38. It was pretty exciting. I don't watch many races, because I am usually running myself. So, it was a nice change to see this, and get psyched up for the marathon tomorrow. The rest of the day is about rest, carbs, salt and fluids.
After the 5K, they had an Invitational Mile race, another first for Boston. First they had two top High School runners from every town along the marathon route run. The girls finished in about 5:10. The boys in about 4:37. It was three loops around the city block by the finish line, and real exciting with the video screen, and the announcers. There was a real strategy, and it was definitely more about winning than a certain time. I talked to the coach of one of the girls teams, and she said they treated the kids great, and gave them about $500 in merchandise.
The elite men finished in about 4:11. The woman's elite field featured Carrie Tollefson, and Shalane Flanagan, an up and coming Boston runner. Shalane lead most of the race, but the woman that trailed her (Anna Willard) until the final lap, pulled ahead in the last 200 meters to win in 4:38. It was pretty exciting. I don't watch many races, because I am usually running myself. So, it was a nice change to see this, and get psyched up for the marathon tomorrow. The rest of the day is about rest, carbs, salt and fluids.
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