The Boston Marathon holds it's place in the lore of sports. It is the world's oldest annual marathon and is the holy grail for amateur athletes from across the globe.
The race itself inspires a nation and brings together spectators from all walks of life to cheer on each and every athlete who makes the 26.2-mile journey from Hopkinton to Boylston St in downtown Boston.
In this InnerVoice Special Edition we hear from our contributrors who have experienced the glory of the Boston finish line. We wish each and every runner their best day this coming Marathon Monday.
I Swore I would never do a Marathon
“My inner voice says 'You are ready for this. Go out and rip some @#%#T heads off. Have fun.' It's a very (possibly overly) confident and a bit aggressive inner voice.”
I’m big on having a plan before the race. Instead of allowing my mind to wander, I try to give myself a to-do list while I’m out on the course. I like to make sure I have the right places for my mind to go because it usually goes to a negative place. When things get tough, I know I need to focus on the things I can control and get to the next task on the to-do list. This is super practical and works really well for the first 20 miles of a marathon. It’s often said in the marathon you run the first 20 miles with your head and the last 6.2 with your heart. For the last 6.2 MILES I allow myself to think about how much work I’ve put in and the team of people who helped me get to the line healthy and ready to roll. When it starts getting hard, I think about those things and ask myself how bad I want it and to try digging deep one more time — there’s always more left than I think.
He competes in Ironman and is super-freaking-dedicated. I see the amount of time he puts in and how hard he works, and it's so impressive. He does it for the personal challenge and the love of the sport. I know it can be extra challenging for him when he's working with my schedule and training too. He never complains and always finds a way to get the work in. There's nobody who has a better outlook on results; he's just an incredibly positive person and I strive to be more like him.
On Monday, Des will line up in an attempt to be the first US Women to win the Boston Marathon since 1985.
You can read her original InnerVoice feature here
Run, Mom, Run!
“I took carb loading very literally. Before my first Boston Marathon I ate an entire large pizza by myself. I thought: the more carbs the better? Well, for a 5’4” female that intake definitely exceeded the need.”
My biggest personal tragedy was the Boston bombings. I was about 200m from the second bomb; I ran the marathon that day.
Marathon Monday has always been one of my most favorite days of the year. It was one of the most beautiful sunny days, and the city was alive. My marathon felt euphoric, I never hit ‘the wall’ and felt like I floated down to the finish line on Boylston Street. I finished, hugged my aunt and cousins, and went to our hotel to change and grab some banana bread. Usually, I walk back down Boylston to meet friends, but I decided to take the street running parallel. I called my girlfriend Jenn and was chatting with her, telling her all about the race.
Suddenly, I hear it, like a loud cannon. All I saw was smoke, and then police officers running everywhere. A policeman grabbed my shoulders, spun me around and said “get out, run...!” I had no idea what had just happened. I started running in the other direction and tried to call my family but the cell service had been shut down. Luckily, I ran right into two guys I went to college with and we all started running together. We were confused and scared and trying to call anyone. Not being able to know my parents were okay was terrifying. Fear had never felt so real.
It took me until last year - 15 years after running my first race - to finally give into identifying myself as a ‘runner’. Every time I didn’t compete well in a race or someone beat me, I would tell myself “You aren’t a runner, you are a soccer player, it’s okay.” I eventually realized that I needed to drop that association and just let running be...a part of me. Not what defined me, but just a piece that I could pick up, drop, celebrate and walk away from and run happily back into.
Lauren qualified for the 2019 Boston Marathon with an impressive performance at the California International Marathon in December, 2017.
The Business of Running
“When I am absolutely nearing my limit and the thoughts of quitting enter my mind, I always think about my wife and son, and that if I quit, I have to explain why to them. I know my wife would understand, but I want my son to know that most people are capable of more than they think, and that inner fire is there, you just need to dig deeper to keep going when you think you’re done.”
I first got into running because of that track meet. But I kept running because my father did, and I wanted to spend time with him. I would run around the block with him on little 5km runs as he trained for the Island Race Series and marathons throughout the Pacific Northwest. Over time, I became that annoying kid that could run forever while chatting about everything under the sun, and not losing my breath.
For me Boston is the pinnacle of amateur running races. The pure determination and focus it takes just to qualify followed by the challenge of training in the winter and early spring culminates into toeing the line of the worlds most iconic marathon. For me this process begin 18 months ago and through many physical and mental highs and lows I stayed true to the goal of making it to Boston and soaking in every last mile. I plan on taking in everything this wonderful race has to offer from its prestige to its history to the many fans that line the course, this is the gift and I will relish in it from beginning to end.
I am heavily invested in running now, both financially and personally. Over the past 3 years I have worked tireless with my wife and friends to build a running community we are proud of; the Vancouver Running Company. I feel like it’s really getting there and I am thoroughly committed to it.
As a beacon of inspiration for the running community in Vancouver, Rob will take his rightful place on the start of line of Monday's race, knowing he has a city of runners cheering him on.
You can read his full feature here
Stronger Than I Ever Knew
"5 minutes before the start of a race I am quite calm. I am reminding myself of the work that I have done and how thankful I am to be here at this moment."
I think two things have surprised me about my running career.
The first would be that I am so much stronger than I ever knew that I was. I never could imagine that I would make a living running the marathon. I could never have dreamed that I had that strength in me.
The second would be the community in running. I have been so surprised that such a huge, supportive, and loving community exists. I have had so much joy getting to know other runners and have felt their support on the racecourse.
I really try to remind myself how lucky I am and how much I have in my life. I have so much more than running and I have an incredible circle of family and friends.
Life stress happens, you have loss and you have disappointment, but I really try to focus on the good and surround myself with people who are there for me.
Kara famously led the 2009 Boston Marathon for a majority of the race, in her debut there, eventually crossing the line in 3rd place.
You can read her full feature here
Beating Down Doors
“When you have a goal, or a dream, or you’re truly happy doing whatever it is that you love, quitting isn’t an option. Where the mind goes, the body follows.”
Everyone who lines up at the start of a marathon is dreaming a little bit bigger on that particular day. You have to. Predicting how a race plays out is something like a shot in the dark, though that’s not completely accurate given the months, building on years, building on decades of training it takes to get to the finish line. Marathons are never easy. You have to give more of what you have. You have to fight to come close to your physical limits, and your attitude always matters.
The Boston Marathon has so much personality, and it is only when you're deep in the heart of the race that you really get to know it for what it is. It starts with setting a goal to run a qualifying time, and achieving it. Receiving a confirmation email to confirm you’re in. The training through every version of our infamous Canadian winter. Planning the trip to Boston and then making the trip. Walking through the expo doors. Picking up your bib and realizing that it’s all very, very real. The hype in the air around the city. The race jackets. The bus ride out to the start. The characters on the bus. The Athlete's Village. The nervous excitement during the walk from the village down to the corrals. The national anthem. The small talk with other nervous runners. The race. The downhill. The legendary uphill. The heartbreak. Up and down. Down and up. The small towns. The 500,000 screaming fans. The CITGO sign. The greatest finishing stretch on the planet. The medal and the hugs. The challenge and the beauty. There is only one Boston.
Running is how I experience the world – five continents later, I’m still happily seeking out the world’s greatest rave runs.
Kate finished the 2016 Boston Marathon as the first placed amateur in a time of 2:51:13
Read her full feature here
Abilities, Not Disabilities
"I've had several tragedies. Some people may think that my Usher syndrome would be a tragedy of mine, but in fact, it isn't. If it weren't for Usher syndrome, I wouldn't be doing all the stuff I have done. Instead, I use this as an opportunity to educate people that there are no limits."
In 2007 I ran my first full (solo) marathon and qualified for the Boston Marathon. Every runner's bucket list run. In 2008, I qualified for Boston again.
After a club run, we usually sit down for coffee. Five of our members qualified for Boston and decided they were going to run the Boston Marathon. It was Chris Morrison that noted that I qualified and asked if I was going. I said I wouldn't be able to do this run because of my vision loss. I think Chris was taken aback by my response; he didn't know I was visually impaired. He quickly volunteered to guide me in Boston. I had to hold back my tears, and trying not to talk like an emotional stutterer, I said: "you would do that?". It turns out, Chris was a sighted guide when he lived in the UK. This still brings tears to my eyes when I talk or write about it. I mean, how many runners do you know who would give up his own golden ticket to run the Boston Marathon? Chris is my biggest inspiration.
I discovered tomorrow. If today isn't good, there is always tomorrow.
Some of my friends and family didn't get me, many thought I was crazy to be out running, to try new things when I should be at home out of harm's way.
The Boston Marathon is a special reminder for Rose that anything is possible.
© 2026 InnerVoice
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