This Boston Qualifier has been designed for one reason, and one reason only … to give you one last chance to qualify for Boston! As you may or may not know, this is the final qualifying weekend before general registration opens for Boston! With a 35% Boston Marathon qualifier rate …
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This Boston Qualifier has been designed for one reason, and one reason only … to give you one last chance to qualify for Boston! As you may or may not know, this is the final qualifying weekend before general registration opens for Boston!
With a 35% Boston Marathon qualifier rate in 2024, you don’t want to miss out on this run.
This quiet, closed, USATF-certified loop course will offer all of the elite-runner perks that can be so vital to Boston qualification…
- Loop course – 6 loops
- Pace specific staggered start – grouped by desired finish time
- Elite bottle/fuel stations – stock these stations with your own personal drinks and snacks
- General bottle/fuel stations – water will be provided for you
- Designated spectator areas for family/friends – your support section will see you every loop!
- Registrant gear check
- Portable toilets are never too far away
- Great race swag – custom hoodie and finisher medal
- Post-race relaxation – snacks and refreshments
We are here to help you qualify for Boston!
We promise, this is going to be your best shot, at a last minute qualifying bid for Boston!
Who can run?
We are limiting the field to just 500 runners! Each runner will have the option to run with a designated pacing group.
Where is the marathon?
This loop course marathon is located in Bare Cove Park (Hingham, MA). The quiet, beautiful setting that this venue provides is tailor-made for a fast qualifying time.
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Not my day today
I will give the volunteers if this race 5⭐️. Super helpful, friendly and full of energy. The course, IMO is terrible! I’ve done loop courses before but this one was … MORE
I will give the volunteers if this race 5⭐️. Super helpful, friendly and full of energy. The course, IMO is terrible! I’ve done loop courses before but this one was just bad. Uneven ground with a little trail running involved. The paved roads were all uneven making my feet sore. I’ve never suffered from this issue before.
The weather was not in our favor today, so congrats to all who hit a BQ! It felt like 100% humidity but I think it was only 90%🤣
There are many a tricky hill on this course and having to run them multiple times was brutal.
On the upside, the option to bring your own fluids/nutrition and set them out on a table that you can grab every time you run by, making it convenient to grab and go. There were water stops in pretty good locations but I didn’t see any other fluid options. The course was well marked and the start/finish line areas had a great group of spectators (thanks, hair band)! All in all, I can’t say I’d ever run this race again but mostly due to the road and weather conditions, not for lack of a well organized race.
I liked this race!
I knew very little about this race and was just trying to qualify for Boston 2023 (which alas, I missed by under 10 minutes). Getting to the race, my GPS … MORE
I knew very little about this race and was just trying to qualify for Boston 2023 (which alas, I missed by under 10 minutes). Getting to the race, my GPS took me to a location that was not to actual parking area so I had to find some other cars that looked like they were heading in the right direction and followed them. Once there, parking was easy. There were port-a-potties right there and nearby a table manned by Racewire folks that were very helpful. They pointed out how to get to the starting line and after the race, gave me a Dunkin Munchkin. Very friendly folks!
It wasn’t until I was inside the park, on the race course that I understood how the self-fueling table set up was done. Every runner was given their spot on a table if they wanted to stock their own drinks, gels, whatever. That is a pretty cool idea and many people took advantage of it. Since the course is made up of 6 loops, you are going to pass these tables 6 times. There are also water and Gatorade tables along the course if you do not want/need to bring your own stuff.
This is not a big race (which is actually good) but the participants were energetic and although the fan base is not the size of the Boston Marathon, they were very encouraging. They practically became friends since you get to see them over and over again especially the two women dressed in various costumes. Each time you passed them, they had changed to a new one, be it a giraffe, banana, the big plastic things you see swaying in the breeze at car washes, etc. They were fun and funny (and good-looking!).
The start is done with the fastest group setting up first and you join the group that is running the pace you hope to do. I went with the 3:45 to 3:59 group but in retrospect should have waited for the 4:00 – 4:14 as I think I started out a little too fast.
The course is made of road tar in some spots and dirt and stones in others. There were a few spots that looked a little iffy but I was able to navigate them without too much difficulty. Fortunately, you get to run under trees for many sections so the sun was not that much of an issue (but the 86% humidity that day probably took its toll near the end of the race).
A lot of runners dislike loops but I kind of enjoyed it. Besides getting to see the same fans again and again, instead of looking at it as, I have another 16 miles to go, it was more like I only have 4 more loops to go.
There is only one real uphill in the race BUT since you are doing LOOPS, you get to run it 6 times and by the 5th time, I was having my doubts about how well the last one would go.
When I got to the 24 mile marker, my GPS said I had gone 24.39 miles so either the course was not measured right ) it is a USATF certified course) or I did a lousy job of cutting the tangents. I assume the latter was the problem.
At this point I still realistically could have have run the last 2.2 miles fast enough to qualify IF I HADN’T ALREADY RUN 24 MILES and I wasn’t experiencing groin and calf cramps! I was able to kick it up a notch here and there for some short distances but they were followed up by some walking which is a time killer.
Anyway, I crossed the finish line (DNQ) and the picture they took wasn’t too flattering but properly reflected how I felt at that moment! 🙂
They had plenty to munch on after the race, PB&J sandwiches, granola bars, bananas, tangerines, water, Gatorade and pretzels. There isn’t a huge party afterwards which makes sense because it is not a huge race but all and all, I think it is a good race, well organized and I would definitely run it again in the future.
Two thumbs up!
The loop that got me a last second BQ
This is a small marathon that offers a last second chance to get a BQ. It was more challenging than I estimated to be. The repetitive loop has a short … MORE
This is a small marathon that offers a last second chance to get a BQ. It was more challenging than I estimated to be. The repetitive loop has a short set of hills on the back side that eventually started to wear on me. The fans that were present were very vocal. It was nice for my son to get a chance to see me running multiple times throughout the race (which hasn’t happened previously in races i have run elsewhere). There were tables where you could set up your own fluids/nutrition which was also a huge bonus. No expo, number pickup was at a Marathon Sports that offered discounts on purchases. Not sure I will run it in the future but if I need a last second BQ, will certainly keep it in mind but it isn’t a cake walk.
Confusing Course
I tracked my race time on MapMyRun (as I always do when I run) and my race time and MapMyRun time and distance conflicted. MapMyRun stats were 27.32 miles/8:29 minute … MORE
I tracked my race time on MapMyRun (as I always do when I run) and my race time and MapMyRun time and distance conflicted. MapMyRun stats were 27.32 miles/8:29 minute miles (which correlates with my pre-race run times). RaceWire stats were 26.2 miles/8:50 minute miles. I found the course confusing whereas it was designed as a “Loop Run” X 6. There was limited direction and structure and I’m pretty sure I went off course somewhere on the course reflecting my mileage (27.32 miles). I submitted a screenshot of my stas from MapMyRun to RaceWire and informed them of my discrepancy. They replied “time posted from start to finish is correct”.
I’m wondering if any other runners had race time discrepancies and/or found the course confusing?