Fast Running Blog

Just saw this on the web, I don't recall Boston ever closing this early.  Hope all the bloggers that were thinking of running got in!

Boston Marathon Registration by The Numbers
Boston Marathon registration closed on November 13, 2009 for the April 19, 2010 race (157 days early), compared to January 25, 2009 for the April 20, 2009 race (85 days early). We know many who were caught unaware by the earlier closing and many who were still hoping to qualify via races later in the year. According to the race website, the event will accept 25,000 registrants - the same as the stated number for 2008 (which yielded nearly 23,000 finishers). Beyond the open registration, the Boston Marathon has available charity registrations and reserves additional registrations - MarathonGuide.com estimates that somewhere over 6,000 registrations remain available through the alternate methods. MarathonGuide.com did a quick analysis of the numbers and here are some facts about the registrants on the day open registration closed:
By Country: USA (84%), Canada (12%), UK (1%), Mexico (1%)
Largest States: MA (8%), CA (8%), NY (6%), ON (6%), IL (6%)
Average Age: Overall - 42.2; Female - 39.4 (43%), Male 44.4 (57%)

I wasn't planning on going this coming year, but I'll keep this in mind for 2011 for sure.

Well, I guess that made my spring racing plans a little easier, no more debating about Boston ;-)

Whoa!  I got my hotel registration a couple weeks ago, but didn't apply for Boston until this past week.  Had no idea it would fill this early!

well, that kind of ruined my day. and week. and spring plans. oh well. thanks for letting us know though.

I'm glad I took that message the BAA sent out about things filling up fast seriously and signed up when I did.  I'd of been bummed if I didn't get to go.

That's early, but I had no plans to run this year or probably again.

Somehow this topic reminds me of a quote by Mark Twain. A friend of his stated that he wanted to visit Mount Sinai in his lifetime and read the Ten Commandments. To which Mark Twain replied - "why don't you stay home and keep them?"

The glory of running Boston is not in the trip to Boston. Anybody with $1000 to spare can hop on the plane and get there. The glory is in having run the standard. It is unfortunate that the only way to recognize men who broke 3:10 and women who broke 3:40 currently available is to have them run another marathon far away at their own not so small expense. We need something else.

How about a discount on the entry fee to a local marathon? I have suggested this idea to Hyrum, he liked it. Or maybe a guaranteed entry into a local marathon that fills up? Or maybe a discount on health insurance?

Understand your perspective, Sasha, but actually running Boston is truly a great experience.  I am glad to have run it twice and using the trip as a reason to take in the history of a very interesting city and part of our American heritage.    So, yes obtaining the BQ is the real accomplishment, but just because I choose to use my time and money to run this race and enjoy myself, please don't begrudge me of my ability to make this choice. 

I respect Sasha, but totally disagree.  The Boston experience for me was worth every penny. 

Haven't we been through this before?  With 2 full pages of comments?  It seems like Sasha still sticks with his opinion, and everyone else pretty much disagrees with him.  I think it's because most people view Boston and running in general as an enjoyable experience, while Sasha looks at how it would benefit him (prize winnings) versus expense.

http://fastrunningblog.com/forum/index.php/topic,423.0.html

I've clearly stated my opinion on the previous post, which is why I'm not saying anything else on this one.

No, Jon - it is much more than just prize winnings. It is more of a question of perspective.

When I came to America 16 years ago one of my impressions of the country  could have been described as "the land of overpriced experience". I watched people spend the equivalent of my parents' life time savings on some sort of "experience" which in all honesty could have been obtained without such extravagance if you got good at learning from what you have on hand. 

We keep talking about global poverty, yet we keep spending thousands of dollars on "experiences". If we invested half of our "experience" money into a micro-loan program like Kiva, the global poverty would be gone.

Sasha, once again you took an innocent posting on racing and turned it into an opportunity to tell others how they live their life incorrectly.  I go to church and believe that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior, I tithe, I give to global relief funds, I volunteer in my community, I teach Sunday school, I work hard and earn my pay (as a federal employee/public servant), I spend time with my family.   I give back to the world around me and DESERVE the right to spend my time and my hard earned money the way I choose and on the "experiences" of my choice.   Please refrain from telling me the things I choose to do (which cause harm to no one) are wrong choices and how I choose to experience life is bad. 

You are being so hypocritical in your statements as well.  You advocate that society should/must provide money for the "poor athletes" to have to training so they can run more...why not apply all that funding to the "micro-loan" program instead of paying them to have "running experiences"?    Why do you advocate having to give prize money to winners of local races instead of just running for the "experience" and giving all the proceeds/winnings to local charities?   

I guess then that you would choose not to go the Olympic Trials if you do run the standard because just running a 2:19 is good enough?  Why then do we even send athletes to the Olympics if just getting the standard is good enough?

Maybe it is a question of perspective and yours is not the only one everyone should live by.

The beauty of America is the opportunity for "experiences".  When I qualified for Boston, I could have just put a nice certificate on a wall and felt proud of myself for the hard work put towards this particular "accomplishment".  When I decided to actually run in Boston, I could have done it the most cost-effective way and made a day trip of it on my own.  The "experience" I chose to take was bringing wife and 6 children, staying in a hotel for almost a week, dropping $$ on a Red Sox game, and having the absolute time of my life.  Yes, I did go site-seeing, walked around way too much, went out a little too late with friends and family, even preached for a buddy who planted a small church in a nearby community, and probably sacrificed a few minutes off of my potential race time...who cares?!  It was a worthwhile investment (I paid less for the actual marathon than some folks pay for "Vibram Fingers").  My family had a wonderful experience!!  I still was able to fulfill my annual tithe, sponsor our overseas child, raise support and visit Uganda, and participate in numerous mission "experiences" throughout the year (as well as drive 1,000 miles to go to the beach, send my children to "6 flags", splurge at the "Cheesecake Factory", and take my wife to a way too experience dinner here and there). 

We all have our priorities.  If running Boston's a dream and you have the opportunity/resources to do it, without sacrificing current obligations or putting undue stress on your work or family, by all means- go for it!! 

My take is the Boston Experience is just that something you have to experience to appreciate.  If you want to stay home and race local, save some money and have your own "Virtual Boston Experience", then have fun with that.

I went to Boston a few years ago don't even remember how much I paid for everything, doesn't matter I paid it off.  True I could have stayed home invested the money, gave it to charity, and made sure my kids were well feed.  But I chose to take my wife on a trip and we had a great time.  I had just as much fun learning about our country's history by visiting actual locations as I did running in the race.

I guess it all comes back to a person's perspective.

I spent some money over the summer and took the whole family to Hawaii.  Now I could have just taken them to the Great Salt Lake and said "Here is your Hawaii Experience" Sure they could have swam in salt water, sat on the beach, and had a great time just like they did in Hawaii but would they really be getting the Hawaii Experience.

To experience something you have to undergone or live through an event or circumstance.

So I really don't read much into comments made by people that have never had the experience even if it is an overpriced experience.

I qualified for Boston at St George this year and have been debating if I would run boston.  I quess it being closed made up my mind for me.  I don't think I would of been able to afford to go for 2010.  I am hoping next year 2011, I will have enough money saved up that I will be able to go. 

I think the discussion about if we should spend the money to 'have and experence' in insane.  It is the same logic as telling your kids to eat everything on there plate because people in some poor country is starving.  My kid eating doesn't help the poor kid.  We should try to help people in need.  But if I choose to go to Boston I am not hurting the poor person.  I hope will be a great experience.

On a related topic:  If some one is able to go to Boston, what are some of the things that people should try to do while there, other then the marathon because that is a given.   Should you sight see before or after the marathon.

Matt, lots of good stuff to do!  Enjoy awesome seafood, walk the Freedom Trail, try to catch a Sox game, visit the JFK library, visit the Sam Adam's brewery, go to Harvard or MIT, walk along the Charles River, visit the Boston Common, visit the North End (Modern Bakery for cannoli's...yum!), catch a show, visit the museums/aquarium, shop, etc. 

I highly recommend most of all walking the Freedom Trail after the marathon...great way to see the history of the city and have some easy recovery after the run (except for climbing the stairs in the Bunker Hill monument, that was hard). 

Boston WILL be a great experience for you!

I went to Boston in 2007 and enjoyed every minute of it.  I even paid to watch a Redsox game that got canceled because of the terrible storm that weekend.  The only regret  I have is not spending more money.  I didn't take my family because of the expense... I just went.  I didn't buy very much merchandise because of the expense.  Now I regret not spending more money to take the family and buy more items  because it would have been a more worthwhile experience.  Just to see my kids face to see the Boston Red Sox historical stadium would have been worth the whole trip.

We work hard to have a few enjoyments in life, and if you tithe giving back to God than why not spurge on the family.

Matt - I agree with Jeff and Kory.  It is an absolutely amazing experience.   The Freedom Trail is definitely worth the time.  We wend to a Red Sox game which was great.   Try to take in as much of everything as you can because nothing else will ever compare.   I rushed through the expo because I hate them but regret it.  I wish I would have spend a more time there.    I also recommend reading  26 miles to Boston as well as some historical books prior to going.  That will help make the experience even better.

Go to Boston. Best running choice you'll ever make.
Sasha your always complaining about the bad things in America... if you don't like so many things about it just go back to Russia. If I moved to England and then always complained about how that country was I'd just go back home.

One other thing Matt...make your hotel reservations NOW!  Try to stay as close to downtown as possible to enjoy the city, have an easier time getting around (foot and "T") and stay in the center of all the activity!

Matt - I agree with Jeff.  I made the mistake of staying outside of Boston and taking the subway in Boston and that really wasn't fun.  Especially when your by yourself.  Plus the convenience of being downtown close is worth the extra money.

Well said, Clyde.  Sasha- we appreciate your running wisdom.  But, as Jeff said, taking a nice post discussing Boston and hijacking it in order to lecture everyone on what we do incorrectly (IN YOUR OPINION) is not appreciated.  Please don't be critical of us.  Please stop.  It is unrighteous dominion.

Sasha, if Boston is so unimportant, than why does your blog have a Boston Marathon Qualifier page of its own, plus why do you constantly encourage everyone to BQ?  It is an arbitrary time obviously correlated to one race.  You could just as easily set a 3 hour goal for everyone, rather than encouraging them to BQ.  By referring to Boston, even you give it some degree of importance beyond just "running the standard."  And if you ask people who have run the race, most will tell you they enjoyed it and had a good experience.

PLEASE STOP CRITICIZING PEOPLE WHO CHOOSE TO RUN BOSTON!!!  And please stop criticizing everyone's priorities and for how they spend their time and money.  It is not your place to judge them, no more so than it is someone else's place to judge you for how much time you "waste" running rather than serving others, spending time with your family, reading scriptures, etc.  We should all worry about ourselves and not worry/criticize how other people live.

Thanks for all the suggestions and will have to try and requister as soon as it opens for 2011.  I look forward to the trip.

Well it is a good thing that I wasn't planning on 2010. I have been fighting all year to get my BQ and I finally got it Saturday. I for one cannot wate to go to Boston. I did not grow up running, I just started 16 months ago. Even with that I WANT to go to Boston! That is what has driven me to work hard and put the miles in so that I could qualify. If Boston wasn't out there I would have stepped back and not had goal out there for me to chase.
For me it is not so much the race.....it is all the hard work to get qualified. The reward is just being there, the tradition.
I WILL BE IN BOSTON IN 2011....Who is going to be there with me????

I'll be running Boston for my 4th year in a row this year, and I love going.  There is nothing quite like being in a big city full of quality marathoners.  Everyone is so friendly and excited.  I always meet so many nice people from all over the place.  I agree with the person who said to take your time at the expo and go ahead and make those impulse buys.  I took my whole family the first year and that was a trip our family will never forget.  And it is definitely worth the extra money to stay downtown near the finish and expo and everything that is going on.

Matt - making your kids eat everything on your plate is a very good idea. Mine do. Not because somebody in Africa will have more food, but to express thanks for the food you have, and to remember those who do not. Then maybe those people in Africa will have more food after all because you will think of them more often and do what you can to help.

Jon - you must have forgotten that this site runs out of my basement, that I pay for the bandwidth, the hardware, and that I have put in a lot of hours to make it. If you had not, you would not have used the word "hijack". You cannot hijack something you own. Yes, I do have the right to express my opinion on my site, even if it contracts the opinion of everybody else.  Everybody else is a guest, do not forget that. Those who do not like such terms of service are welcome to leave and use Facebook to log their miles.

The reason I encourage people to qualify for Boston is that it is about the only thing somebody who is not an exceptionally gifted runner can qualify for. That does not mean I encourage people to actually go to Boston. An idiot can go - just put the plane ticket, and hotel on the credit card, and go. Qualifying is a different story.

Clyde - America has problems, Russia has more problems. The reason America has problems is that Americans are forgetting the source of their power. The reason Russia has more problems is that they have flat denied the source of that power 82 years ago. If America keeps drifting away from its core values (that being faith and service, not mind-numbing TV shows and fast food), it will have more problems, eventually more than Russia.

Sasha you may own it but you have asked for donations and have received donations before in the past... I'd say if your going to fundraise you should keep an open mind to your donors.

Thanks for the reminder to backup my blog to .csv. I'd hate to lose all that data if Sasha shuts down the site.

This is actually great.  This is the beauty of the United States.  Our soldiers fought for this freedom--the freedom to voice an opinion without going to jail or being beaten or being killed.  Sasha and everyone else on the blog can voice an unpopular opinion without imprisonment.  It reminds me of the time my husband was at a festival recruiting for the army and there where a bunch of protestors there holding signs and chanting.  A lot of the soldiers were beginning to get upset but then David went over and had his picture taken with the protestors.  He told them this is why he went to war--so the protestors had the freedom to to do what they were doing.

Paul - Great reminder I haven't backed up my blog for a while. It's also good to do in case of a disk/hardware failure.  But I would think Sasha is replicating Mysql on another system.

Oh, I'm sure it's being replicated. My concern it more about Sasha getting sick of dealing with ungrateful people who disagree with him, and plain shutting the site down. Or if I ever get banned for life from the FRB for running Boston and spending too much money, at least I'll have a backup my log.

Clyde -  I'll be happy to refund you your donation if you think that it gives you the right to complain. Let me know if I should. Same for everybody else. As a side note, those who complain for the most part are not those who have donated, so I am not going to lose a whole lot of money if all the complainers ask for their money back.

Paul - I have considered shutting down the site over the last year. Not because of spending too much money on Boston, but because of the negative aspects of the popular culture taking over the site with the spirit of excellence eroding .  I do not want Fast Running Blog to be another Facebook or Twitter with some running mixed in, I want it to be where people overcome their limits, reach for the stars, and in the process get closer to God.  I felt it was being turned into a somewhat LDS-flavored but spiritually empty Facebook with running mixed in, and it started to feel lame.  I did not want to have anything to do with a site like this and considered shutting it down seriously enough to take the matter to the Lord in prayer.

However, when I prayed I felt that in spite of that the site is still worth running for the sake of others who are different, even if it is becoming a silent minority. I have since felt tempted to pray again, and ask the same question, but I always remember the experience of Martin Harris, so I decided against it. In short, I do not plan on closing the site.

But backing up your data is a good idea regardless.

If you did think of shutting it down, would you consider selling/transferring it to someone else instead?

Wow, that close to shutting down and/or that close to driving people to other running sites?   

Sasha, how exactly does someone qualifying for and deciding to pay for a trip to actually run the Boston Marathon contribute to  "the negative aspects of the popular culture taking over the site with the spirit of excellence eroding"?   Running Boston is about overcoming limitations and it is run on Monday so it doesn't lead people to run on Sunday...

No Sasha I don't want our donations back. I love the site and have used it a million times over the last 4 years. I love the friendship I've developed with you and all the other running buddies. I just like to stir the pot once in a while. I don't really think of it as complaining. You have to have a little sense of humor with everything I post. However I do think you could be a little more open minded... not really for me but others who join and may not know you like some of us do.
Anyways Thanks Sasha for the site and the fun times I've enjoyed because of it... "Where's Google"? Hopefully we can all get fully healthy again sometime down the road and have one more fun relay or big marathon with lots of PR's.

Paul is: waxing nostalgic for the old-school FastRunningBlog.
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Jon - I am not shutting it down no matter how frustrated I get. Read Doctrine and Covenants sections  5 and 10. If the Lord said something once, I am not going to ask him again hoping to get a different answer.

Jeff - as I said earlier, it is not because people spend money on going to Boston. It is because the "going" appeared to me to stand above accomplishing or serving. When "going" is mixed with accomplishing, you cannot tell which one the people value more. But, when for the sake of a mental experiment I suggested two things to test the importance of "going", it showed that "going" was a decisive winner. It won against accomplishing in the test "will you be happy to run a local marathon instead if it offered benefits to those who have achieved the BQ standard?", and against serving in "will you be happy to run a local marathon instead and donate the money you saved or at least a portion to a worthy cause?"  Maybe in the heat of the debate my suggestions were not properly understood.

Going back to the original subject. I talked to Hyrum (race director of the Utah Valley Marathon) and he said he would give a $5 entree fee discount and a special shirt for those who have a current Boston qualifier. He will also have a special shirt for those who reach BQ for the first time in his race even if they start the race as non-BQ. So those who did not get in to Boston can run Utah Valley and get a special experience that confirms to them they've accomplished something without having to travel so far. Even for somebody, let's say, in Texas, I would imagine a trip to Provo would cost a whole lot less than to Boston. Even if a blogger cannot accommodate them, hotel fees here are much lower.

Another Boston idea. Save the money for the trip. Then put it into a Kiva account and lend it to help people in developing countries start a business. Spread it out among several borrowers to reduce the risk. Then once the money has been repaid, take it out and use it to go to Boston. It takes about a year, at least that is what I got on my loan. The repayment rate is something like 99.9%, and while you get no interest, it is not much worse than your money market or CD right now anyway. So you do not lose a whole lot, but for the small price of a little bit of discipline and being willing to delay the gratification you can help around 10 people get out of poverty.

Sasha, if "going" was not a part of the accomplishment, why establish the importance of accomplishing the goal in the first place.  Life is about experiences and I can tell you from first hand experience that running Utah Valley Marathon is not at all like running Boston (no offense to Hyrum).  I didn't run Boston twice to "get the shirt" and having UVM provide me a shirt would not make me change my mind to run Boston.   The "benefit" of running Boston is the whole experience of the race and the community/town/culture, not the shirt.  It is being part of something bigger and going to a place to take in the culture and history that Boston has to offer (Provo just doesn't compare by any means).  If  going to somewhere else to experience that location was not important in peoples lives, then why do people travel to any non-local race (e.g St. George for non-southern Utah residents) to run let alone just take vacations?  So, "going" to Boston is intergrally tied to "achieving" the BQ. 

As far as the service aspect, why can't I do both if I have the means?  I choose to travel to races and take vacations and still give back to others in my local community and farther afield.  Why make these linked and exclusionary, they really have nothing to do with one another and my choosing to experience Boston by no means stands above my desire to serve my Lord and my community.

Jeff - I agree with you that traveling experiences are good. I am just saying that in the order of priorities they should not be as high as we put them.

The "exclusionary" aspect comes from the limitation of resources relative to need. We live during hard times. Even in the US many people are either unemployed or under-employed. Even those who have jobs are on a shaky footing. If we think life is hard here, in other countries it is even more challenging.

Thus the question arises on what to do with the little bit of extra money that ends up in our hands. It is a common trend to spend it immediately on something like a vacation. With the opportunities we have today, if you waited a year to go on that vacation you could help a few people in Peru, Cambodia, Nigeria, or some other country start a business that would break the cycle of poverty in their family. Plus, at the end of that year, if something happened to your job that extra money would still be there to help you out while you were looking for a new one.

I am not saying that is the only right way to manage the extra money. There are probably a whole lot of other ways we could use the blessing of solid cash flow we've been given to make the world a better place.  I am just saying that if you pause, think, and reevaluate, you might see a better way.

When somebody says about a trip or some other expense that it "was worth every penny", I cannot help but wonder about how much thought they've put into that statement. I must admit I have never participated in a financial transaction that was "worth every penny" for reasons of opportunity cost. Mostly likely I have missed a better opportunity. Granted, we cannot spend eternity wondering about the best opportunity, but it does help to stop, think, and pray if you believe in prayer, for at least a moment before you move on.

Perhaps the reason I am sensitive to this issue is because my own life was changed at a critical moment when somebody else who was blessed with money at the time paused for a second and decided to invest it into my education instead of other things. The amount he had to spend was about what it would cost to go on a vacation to Europe for a week - after that I was able to stand on my own. To this day I am grateful that he thought of me at that time before he thought of the vacation.

Too bad, sounds like you need to plan your "financial transactions" better.

It's really just an expression and probably isn't said or probably shouldn't be interpreted literally...   It could easily be replaced with "It was a fun trip" or "We had a fun time" or "I would do it again"  or any number of things along those lines.

Personally, I had a good time when I went to Boston.  I enjoyed the trip and the race and i'm happy that I went.  I probably won't go again any time soon because it was expensive and i have other priorities right now.  But its not like the money I spent was wasted or destroyed.  Every cent went into somebody's pocket.  We're part of a complex economy and the tourism industry is a valid part of that.  flight attendants, bus boys, hotel clerks, etc.  They are all making an honest living and benefitting from the spending that takes place on these trips.

Cal--good point.  If everyone were to stop taking trips, what would that do to all the people who depend on tourism for a living?

I may have been "guilty" for saying every penny.  Perhaps I used it as an expression of speech.  At the same time, my family is on a very strict budget and we make certain sacrifices to prioritize a trip in our lives like Boston.  Could there have been a penny wasted?  Maybe.  However, I still do not regret a single expenditure- including the $8 spent on slurpees at the 7/11.  The clerk recognized my wife and I from graduate school days and gave all 6 of my children a treat "on the house".  

I can agree to disagree with Sasha with no hard feelings (or guilty ones).  btw- I really do appreciate the use of this blog.  Maybe a few minutes wasted in which I could be helping a friend or neighbor in need, yet nevertheless an enjoyable use of my time :).

Here is my take on Boston. 16 months ago when I started running I had no clue what 'Boston' was. I started preparing to run the St. George Marathon and had hoped to run it under 6 hours. I had friends tell me I could make 4:30 and I laughed. Shortly before the marathon I could see that my times were improving and that 4 hours could be possible, maybe even as low as 3:30 (my BQ time) That is really my first exposure to Boston.

I ran the marathon and was humbled by the experience and what it takes to complete the first one. From that point on my goal, my quest, was to obtain the Boston Qualifier time. I started using 'Irish Spring' soap to remind me of my goal....I know, kind of stupid but you do what works for you. Okay fast forward... I finally achieved my goal on my 6th marathon ( Mesquite). You cannot imagine the joy I felt when I saw my time and I had beat my BQ time by 7+ minutes. I am going to Boston in 2011!

I can now look back on those 16 months of training, hurting, sweating and sacrificing my time for this goal. Did it make me a better runner? YES Did it make me a better person? YES I feel that having that goal out there of Boston has allowed me to dig deep into myself and learn how to be strong, to not give up no matter what.

I think everyone's experiences, focus in life are different. I give to the poor and needy. I give of my time to others in need. I spend quality time with my family.

In running the local marathons I have developed wonderful experiences. None of which I would change. Boston will be another one of those great experiences. I will continue to help others and hopefully inspire my friends and neighbors that they can accomplish major goals in their lives. Boston may not be the goal for them...it just happened to be for me, this goal has helped me put some focus on something that pushed me to be better in many ways and to appreciate life in a way I had never experienced.

Right on!  Good post and I liked your input.  I haven't qualified, but it is a goal I am working toward.  I'll hopefully come to the "should I stay or should I go" dilemma sooner rather than later. 

I think it's all about balance in your life.  Tomorrow morning, I'll be out the door in very cold temperatures, before the sun comes up, so I can get in my long run before having to tend to some family obligations.  Balance. 

I enjoyed reading all of the posts and numerous points discussed.  We do live in a great country where we can open and honestly discuss and debate.  For that we should always be thankful!

Later!

This post is going to win the most replies reward.  Boston is really a great experience.