2011 Boston Marathon

245

Comments

  • Gutted about this. Spent all yesterday afternoon at work, then in a job interview, no chance to go online and then find out registration closed! After all that training to get the qualifying time in Berlin!!!!

    Oh well, what will be will be. Good luck to all who are entered. Will concentrate on the cheaper if slightly less glamorous option of running Brighton next Spring.

  • Biggles - They annoucned that there were only 200 or so entrants from the volcanic ash incident that registered and they were registered prior to Monday. As you can see from these boards, the allure of Boston is not quite the same in Europe as in the US (understandable, I suppose).

     Cavruns - I qualified in Berlin too. What a wet day! :image

  • EI22RE
    That's very interesting I had no idea there was so few people entered from Europe. So my guess was wildly out!!!!!
    Stlii dosnt explain how the registration closed so quickly compared to last year, any ideas?
    Have just got hotel bookedat the Langham downtown doing a good deal for min of 4 day stay.
  • Well, I suppose the fact that it closed in record time last year had multiple effects:

    a) Those who missed out last year would have been very eager to get in asap

    b) everyone has been talking about how fast it was going to  sell out so there was a bit of a old-fashioned "bank run" on the website

    c) The registration opened a bit later this year so there have been more marathons since it closed last year

    I have yet to book a hotel but it all looks very pricey. where did you get the deal Biggles?

  • Hi All,

    Well it seems I'm one of the lucky ones then! I got the qualification time on Sunday in Amsterdam and signed up to Boston on Monday. Getting into Boston has definately eased the pain of missing the Sub 3 by 40 seconds!

    Sorry to hear people missed out. Make sure you get something booked up quick to soften the blow. I did my first ever marathon in Paris this year and loved it!

    I think probably just the rumours that it was getting to fill up quick were themselves to blame for it filling up so quick as people tried to get in there early!

  • I was on site as soon as it opened tried to register 3 times on different computers, everytime pressed submit all info disappeared but no ID genererated.

    Gutted, already booked flights and hotel so big hole in my savings imageimageimage

    Had emailed organisers as given credit card details 3 times and thought "lets wait for ans" then registration shuts.  Never Ever doing this again.......

  • Made an uncharacteristically sensible financial decision and decided not to enter.  The wallet just  couldn't quite handle it.  Looks like I would've been lucky to get in even if I'd decided to try!

    Good luck with it everyone anyway.

    I may do Paris instead, or more likely Berlin again.

    Then there's always 2012 I guess...

  • TS - Really sorry to hear that. It was quite the ordeal. In the end, I went onto the US RW site and found a link that someone was suggesting to us. Tried that and it worked first time (I had been trying an hour).

    That said, the form did state very clearly that unless you were shown a registration ID on screen, you were not registered. A bit muck but it did say it so I wish you had kept on trying.image

  • Congratulations to all that managed to get in.... and commiserations to those that didn't. It was a lot of "fun" on Monday afternoon image

    Has anyone managed to find a decent hotel for under $300 a night? Looking like it is going to be a very expensive trip.
  • The deal I got at Langham was on their own website, whilst not cheap it was a good deal compared to some others Hotels. There is a lot to choose from in Boston so I guess you pays your money and takes your choice!
  • Does anyone know the how you get to the startline, in terms of transport?
  • Richard_W

    The registration fee includes transportation to the start at Hopkington which is about 26miles from Bostonimage

    The official BAA buses leave from Boston Common on the Tremont Steet side which is the south side of the common in the Back Bay area.

    Last years timings were Wave One Bib 1000-13999 leaves at 0600-0645

    Wave Two Bib 14000+ leaves at 0645-0730

    Cheers

  • Biggles - Thanks for the info. Wow im rubbish at researching! Gonna leave it to the girlfriend in future!!
  • What a great email to wake up to:

    "This is to notify you that your entry into the 115th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 18, 2011 has been accepted .."

    A confirmation email and my name finally appears on the entrants list on the BAA website. A good start to the day. Guess I'd better start looking at flights now image

    Anyone else got their confirmation yet?

  • Yep! Mine came through yesterday! Very excited!

  • I've got my place reserved but not got the verification e-mail through yet. Wonder if I should be worried?! Booked my hotel but not my flight.
  • micromagic

    If your on the website official entrants list I wouldn't worry your in!

    Silly question but have you checked your email spam/junk folder?

    cheers

    edit to say did your receive the conformation card in the post from the BAA? You should have had one by now.

  • I'm not on the official entries list yet and I haven't got anything through the post but my qualifying race was the Baltimore marathon which was only 2 day before the registration day therefore maybe the time hasn't been verified yet. I did notice this statement on the initial e-mail I got back: -

    "The verification of your time and your acceptance into the 2011 Boston Marathon can take four to five weeks depending on how quickly we receive the official results from your qualifying marathon. It is not necessary to contact the B.A.A. Registration Office in the interim."

    Hopefully I will get confirmation through soon so I can get my flight sorted.
  • As you say it sounds like they need to verify your qualifying time before you get official acceptance.

    I'm sure you'll hear soon enough.

    Cheers

  • Entry just confirmed!!! Who's best to fly with from northern England to Boston. At the minute it's looking like Air Lingus via dublin.
  • Hi

      I often have a read through the forum pages of the races I've entered without joining in so I thought this time I would n't be so miserable.

      I was one of the unfortunates that did n't get to Boston this year because of the ash cloud, I didn't want to waste the training so ran the Bungay marathon instead, it still had four miles of hills except being  two laps it meant eight tough miles !!  My plan was to run Boston & Berlin this year then finish the five majors in Cicago next year (just before my 50th birthday)so if the wallet will stretch that far it will be two trips across the pond.

     Fights & Hotel booked, flying with Virgin on the Fri and staying at the Lennox about 100 yards from the finish line, booked through Expedia, not cheap but like to have things sorted.

  • Hi Whiteleyox

    My situation is remarkably similar to yours. I also got snookered by the volcanic ash  but was so disappointed not being able to get to Boston that I wasn't up for entering another marathon so on the day I went for a 20m run on my own!! 

     I did Berlin in September which was great but very wet and Chicago 2011  was to be my fifth major as well. Funnily enough before a landmark birthday for me! At least my Berlin effort gave me a better qualifying time for Boston than the New York time I used beforeimage

    Seeing how quickly Boston filled up recently I wonder if the same will happen for Chicago when the registration opens early next year.

  • Biggles

     My Boston qualifier was also New York, but unlike you I did n't manage to improve on it in Berlin, after struggling over the last few miles in Bungay I took the first half of Berlin quite slow and then done a 6 minute negative split and missed my New York time (pb) by 20 seconds. I was glad of the cool conditions in Berlin when I arrived there on the Friday it was 25 degrees, could of done without the rain though !!

     I think Chicago will fill quicker than usual simply because of what has happened with Boston, is it Febuary that it opens ? 

     Is anyone else flying to Boston with Virgin from Heathrow on the Friday ?

  • I'm travelling from Heathrow on the Thursday with British Airways arriving in the evening. I don't normally get to marathons that early but this time wanted to soak up and enjoy the atmosphere which by all accounts is brilliant.

    Last April I also entered the 5km run on the Sunday just as a warm up. Will probably do the same again as I guess although its a competitive event you can treat it like the NYM friendship run.

  •   I entered the 5k last April but thought the $40 entry fee was a bit steep for what would end up being a 3 mile jog.  My friend from my running club who did manage to get to Boston said the 5k was a really good event with a great atmosphere and a goody bag and plenty of food at the end, he also came back with a nice technical t-shirt, I think I'm talking myself into entering !!  I must admit I really enjoyed the friendship run in New York it helped to make the whole marathon weekend complete.

      When does everyone intend to start ramping up the milage ? For a spring marathon I like to have my weekend run up to about 15 miles by Christmas then hit my first 20 around the  middle of February.

      Doing a 10 mile race tomorrow, so hopefully will give me an indication of where I'm at with my training.

  • Yehay got in, emaily thing recieved today (in Spam / Email) so I'm at registration accepted as of todayimage phew after initial 'giving credit card details in 4 times but not getting ID.  Now just wait for acceptance emai, qualified at London this year, so on drop down options meaning delay shouldn't be tooooo long image
  • Is there another thread for Boston???
  • Not sure but this one is a bit quiet isn't it!!

    How's everyone's training going? I've a calf injury recently and a bit of an ITB issue but fingers crossed all seems better now with rest so training started again with less than 16 weeks to goimage

    Cheers

  • It has gone a bit quiet has n't it !!

    Well this is the time when the training really kicks in so maybe now we should try to keep it going !

    My training is going ok, managed to fit in a couple of good 2 hour runs off road during the festivities, got a touch of the Man Flu at the moment but nothing that will stop me running for more than a couple of days.

    If anyone is planning to take in a Redsox game while in Boston the tickets are on sale now, I've managed to get tickets for the Saturday. 

  • I'm planning on trying to juggle kids & work to actually be able to run, failing fantastically the last few months image

    Ran 10 miles a fortnight ago and 5 miles yesterday.  Broke Ski maching thingy tonight on first use, cr@p cr@p cr@p

    drawing up plan of action tonight before its too late.  Boston will be 22nd marathon so alls not lost til the fat lady sings and I'm not singing yet image

    Running Liverpool & Silverstone half's, before Boston & Edinburgh Marathons........

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