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Boston Marathon: 4 Runners, 4 Different Stories · The People Run Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_03: It was uh it's just crazy.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_03: It's literally like a room full of my idols.
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and yeah, I don't know, it's just like imposter syndrome, but yeah.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_04: So that's really cool.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_04: Did you get to uh Max, my dude, welcome back to the People Run Podcast, fresh off of Boston.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_04: How you feeling?
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I'm happy to be here on the People Run Podcast for the second time.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, I might say, uh, pretty blessed to be here.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I'm feeling uh better, a little bit better.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_01: It's uh four days removed, so you're kind of getting to the point where you're starting to get a little less sore, which is nice.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_01: Um but you know, pretty standard as far as post-marathon feel feelings and uh the mental come down because Boston was just such a grand weekend and everything.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_01: So um, you know, feeling pretty good, all things considered.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_04: I will say I definitely from seeing all your stuff, this is the year I had the most FOMO on Boston.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_04: It just looked incredible.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_04: The weather was great.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_04: I'm going next year, even if it's just to do the 5K.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, sure.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_04: It's something, man.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_04: You ran a 231, a PR in Boston.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_04: People often think you can't do a PR in Boston, you crush it, you had an amazing bill.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_04: What was that like for you to go to Boston, PR, and do a 231?
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_01: It was pretty incredible.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it was uh, I mean, it was unlike any race experience I've ever had for sure.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I've done Chicago, and obviously that's an even bigger race than Boston, but I think it's just different.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_01: I think the energy is just different because it's a highly selective race for one.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_01: I I think that honestly is the biggest difference, and you know, everyone that but that's what makes it so coveted is that people have to work for years and years to get to even race in Boston and even just get the opportunity to tow the start line.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_01: It's like such a coveted thing, and so that made it really special.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um, the whole week with all of the brand, you know, pop-ups and like going around and like different invitations to events and like um seeing all my friends there.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_01: It was just uh non-stop action, which was really cool, and that's not even like you know, taking into account the actual race itself.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um yeah, uh I came into the race, obviously wanted to PR.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_01: That was the goal.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I did hear, you know, Boston hard course to PR on.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and you know, luckily we had a pretty good day for PR.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I think I I don't know.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_01: I I don't know that I had a ton of expectations about the course other than like, you know, the certain five miles and stuff uh from six 16 to 21, but it was like by far in a way the hardest course I've ever ran.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_01: Uh it was just uh nonstop like up or down, and obviously down is great, but at a certain point where down becomes a lot, um there was just a lot of up.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_01: It's a lot up.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_01: Uh and it was it was constant.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_01: It was, you know, through through most of the miles, there was some sort of um elevation.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_01: So uh it was cool.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_01: I and just the the start was incredible.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_01: They had like a cargo plane, like military plane flying over, and like got I got to be close enough to the elite field that I got to like watch them get introduced, so that was really cool.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um and yeah, I mean I can um get into some of the specifics as well.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but I was able to pack up with some of my friends, uh Flohberg Runs and um Trevor, he's a uh hybrid TG on Instagram, um, both just insane athletes, uh, especially Trevor being uh the guy to go and bench 305 or whatever after the Boston Marathon or something like that.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_01: He's nuts.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_01: Uh so I got to run with them, those two guys for like 16 miles.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_01: We had a pack of like, I don't know, like 10 guys.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_01: So um it was pretty awesome.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_01: And we were just kind of communicating, you know, like trying not to go too fast on certain miles, and like Eric was just yelling out like anytime we were going too fast, he's like, keep your heads, you know, stay smart, all that stuff.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_01: And so um just kept it consistent.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_01: A lot of downhill, which is great, certainly some uphill too.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_01: And it was just the fans were just something else, man.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_01: Like the the scream tunnel by like the all girls college, like it was it was nuts.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_01: It was so cool.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_01: One of the guys in my pack went up and kissed a girl.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_01: I think he was like the first guy to do it pretty far up.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_01: And we were cruising.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, we're running like 540 pace, and the guy goes and I was like, what so funny?
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_01: So it was cool.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_01: I was having a good time through like you know, 14-15 miles, and then you know, at that point it's like go time, like you gotta lock in because these hills are coming and they're no joke.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so pretty much took the hills like at effort as as much as I could.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_01: I I did not, I don't think from 16 on I actually looked at my watch once.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_01: Uh for I I genuinely am not sure if I did after 16 when the hills started, because I just went up and I'm like, whatever happens, happens.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_01: Like the whole pack just immediately disperse, and uh and that was it.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_01: And so you're you go and you just I mean, I just looked down, I'm like, I just gotta get to the top of this one hill.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_01: Uh and I did that every single time, and then there's actually a pretty decent amount of downhill in between each one.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but those four hills are yeah, they're no joke.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_01: And I tried my best to prepare in Chicago, but it's pretty flat here.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um, thankfully made it to Heartbreak Hill, had some matches left, ripped downhill past Boston College.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_01: That was my that was my fastest mile for sure.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and then with like three or four miles left, had a small little cramp in my calf.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_01: So I was like, ah close.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_01: I was this close to 229, I think.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, I I can say shoulda, coulda, what uh, whatever.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not gonna sit here and make excuses or anything, you know, but it's a fixable problem.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, you know, it's something I can I can do in the gym and and make my calves stronger and just gotta be gotta be a little bit better there.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_01: But um, you know, I felt like I had a great day, regardless of that.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_01: Like still, still PR'd, and it was just like probably the hardest I've battled mentally in like the last part of the race.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um, just like I mean, I can't, I I I could not even think like about anything other than moving forward and just like keeping myself tight enough where my calves are gonna, you know, hold together.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_01: Like I was I saw some people, and it's like I thought about the this video idea, and it's like, Max, you know, I saw you at mile 25.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_01: Like, did you see me?
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_01: And it's like cuts to like me when I see me what I'm seeing at mile 25, and it's like Call of Duty zombies when you've got it like three times already visions.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, yeah, that's what it feels like, honestly.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_01: And so thankfully made it to the end.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, that ending shoot is like a half mile long.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_01: I was like, I turned a corner, I'm like, I'm almost here, and I'm like, I don't know where the finish is, I don't see it.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um and I I made it and yeah, I got to celebrate a little bit right after with with the guys that I that I started with, and yeah, I got to celebrate the rest of the day with my my family and my girlfriend, and I was just so so happy and you know blessed to be able to do that.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_04: Polly, thank you for joining me post-Boston.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_04: How are you feeling post-Boston Marathon?
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_04: I don't think we're even a week out from yeah, we're just under a week out.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_03: I'm feeling good.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_03: I have done no running this week and literally just taking the week to um put my feet up.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, I work, but put my feet up as much as I can um as a teacher and mom.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_03: And um yeah, just enjoy uh some downtime.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_04: Are you enjoying the downtime, no running, being relaxed and getting to snap, sleep some?
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I love it.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_03: I'm not the type of person that like my coach has to convince to take time off of after a marathon.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_03: I'm usually so ready for it.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_04: Nice.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_04: Okay.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_04: So Paula, you ran this Boston.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_04: Well, you've run a few now, but this one was different, special.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_04: You ran it in the pro-elite field.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_04: What was that like?
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it was so different.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I'd run it before in 2012 and then 2015.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_03: So it's been 11 years.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_03: So this Boston was different for so many reasons.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, first of all, I I feel like I'm just a totally different runner than I was in 2015.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_03: The last time I ran the race, I broke three for the first time.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I was overjoyed with that, obviously.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_03: And um yeah, and then just a lot has happened like in my personal life and my running life since then.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_03: So this was a whole different experience.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_03: I never in a million years would have thought I would have made the pro field.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_03: I've just put in a lot of work to get here, is essentially what it is.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_03: But the experience was phenomenal.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_03: Um, we got the royal treatment, and I just, yeah, I just like I kind of said to my coach, I just I feel like this is my like Cinderella at the ball moment.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_03: Like it's not something I ever thought would have happened.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm like stepping into this whole new world that um just honestly felt a little bit out of my leak, but so exciting.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_04: Well, when through your mind as you were going through like, say, the hotel or you got all these pros around you, and you're like, wow, I'm gonna toe the line here and start with this field.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_03: Honestly, it was just surreal.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_03: It was so surreal.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_03: Um like walking into the technical meeting and like they hand you like a lanyard that says like polycutas, pro athlete with your like nation's flag on it.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_03: Um and I was like, that's like pro athlete?
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_03: That's not me.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_03: I can't wear this lanyard.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and then yeah, like at the technical meeting I sat next to Emma Bates.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and it was uh it's just crazy.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_03: It's literally like a room full of my idols.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_03: Um and yeah, I don't know, it's just like imposter syndrome, but yeah.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_03: So that's really cool.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_04: Did you get to uh speak with some of your idols?
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_04: Any advice they gave you and thoughts on you know your profile debut?
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_03: I didn't.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_03: I exchanged a few words with Emma, um, but I was like trying to I was trying to keep it cool sitting next to her.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_03: I was like, How are you feeling?
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_03: or something like something ridiculous.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_03: And she was just like responded awkwardly, like, oh gosh, who's this girl's trying to talk to me?
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_03: Um so no, I had there were a couple women that I knew, a couple other Canadian women that I knew.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_03: So um I mostly hung out with them and um we would just kind of like look at each other and be like, oh my gosh, there's Des Linden, oh my gosh, there's Daryl.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_03: Oh my god.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_03: We didn't really, I didn't want to bug them.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_03: I knew they just kind of wanted to be in their zone or whatever.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_04: Did it make it harder to focus like on your race?
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_04: Because obviously you had your own goal for the race, but then you're also living this this surreal moment, if you will.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, um, I feel like like I went in with a big goal, and if like looking back, I don't know like how like I think like once the race kind of got going, I I really just wanted to enjoy it.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_03: Um and so I wouldn't say I was like super like I've gone into other races more focused on a time goal.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_03: Um and I mean in hindsight, I maybe wish I had been a little bit more focused on the time goal.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_03: I think I kind of like let it go maybe a little too early.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but no, like the focus ended up just being really enjoying it.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_03: And I did, like I I loved every minute of being out there and like running down those streets with my name on my bib.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_03: Um it just was like a huge moment, so I took it in.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_04: Emily, thanks for coming on.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_04: Fresh a week out from Boston.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_04: How are you feeling?
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, thank you for having me back.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_02: Um, yeah, feeling okay.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_02: So it is exactly a week today since I did Boston.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I haven't run since.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_02: I'm taking the recovery quite seriously, and obviously I had the transatlantic flight, so um a bit tired as well.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_02: So taking it nice and easy, but yeah, feeling really good.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_02: Really, really good.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_04: That's awesome to hear.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_04: So legs all fresh and and somewhat recovered.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_02: So the plane on the way back was quite difficult.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_02: All of us were like waddling around the airport, and then when we stood up at the end, we were like waddling out of the plane.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_02: But I think the day after, when I did some walking, then it felt better.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_02: The legs felt better.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_04: I'm sure the the flight attendants all understood and they saw the blue jackets.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_02: It was, it was a sea of blue and yellow on the plane, it was great.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_04: That's cool.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_04: Emily, this was your quote unquote dream race, Boston.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_04: You finally qualified, you got in, you tried multiple times, you finally experienced it.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_04: And what was it like for you?
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_04: Did it live up to expectations?
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so I think my journey to Boston has been shorter than other people's.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_02: I wasn't actually really aware of the qualification system, nor did I think it was for me until maybe three years ago, I became aware of like the whole process and thought actually that might be something that's in reach for me.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_02: So I then concentrated on my last two marathons before this one of qualifying for Boston.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_02: And the first one I did manage a I got a qualifying time, but it was the first year that not everyone that got a qualifying time got in.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_02: So although I got the qualifying time, I got the rejection email um saying that there were there were too many people that were faster in my category, so I didn't get in.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so I went for it again the year after.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_02: So I did London Marathon in the Good for Age category, which is what I ended up doing rather than Boston that year, and then I got another Boston qualifying time, but again, I didn't know if that was going to be enough because we knew that the times kept changing, the qualifying times kept changing, and it it was a bit unknown.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_02: So although I was really happy with my time at London, I didn't know whether I'd got in.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_02: So then it became this like waiting period of when the applications for Boston opened and then having your time put in and then hearing out whether you actually got in.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_02: So the process felt felt yeah, like you say, quite long.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but the reasons why I did my last two marathons was to get into Boston, yeah.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_02: So to actually be there did feel quite surreal.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_02: And I think the thing that I keep thinking about now is how quickly it's been happened.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_02: And then it's done.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, it's a bizarre feeling, but I was very proud.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, post uh what is it, post-marathon blues and such a high event.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_02: I think I d I think I was just riding on like the high, and I found the training quite tricky this year.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_02: So actually I was very relieved that the training and the pressure was off and over, and I've been so worried about being injured before I went or becoming ill and paying all this money to fly out to America and do Boston and like not enjoy it because of those factors, but actually it all turned out as well as it could have been.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, I felt I just still feeling very happy that it all went well.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_04: What did you think of the expo and all the history there and stuff and and just you know becoming America and the days in the lead up to the races?
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_02: I think Boston as a city is really, really nice.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_02: I hadn't been to Boston before, so actually being in a really nice new city was was really good.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_02: There was a lot going on.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_02: Obviously, it just turns into marathon mania, really.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_02: So that was that was fun.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_02: Um we took a trip to Harvard, we you know did some history bits and bobs.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_02: Um the expo was very busy.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_02: Um, really, really busy, and I think the only other one that I can compare it to like a world major is London.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_02: And London is very like salesy, as in there's a million things and a million stalls and a million different brands.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_02: At Boston, that's not the case, you just have the one brand, really, here.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but obviously it's just full of all the merch.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and it's just you know, this beautiful blue as you go in and all the stuff, and then um all the like picture opportunities, etc.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_02: So it was very busy getting into the expo, but actually when you're in there, it was quite calm and quite nice.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and it was like really fun to pick up all the merch the day before.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so yeah, it was good.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_04: Maurice, fresh from Boston Marathon, again in a suit, and you had a blast from everything I saw.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_04: Man, how was the race for you?
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_00: Happy Friday evening.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, thank you so much for having me on.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_00: The race was magical.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um, as always.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_00: I'm super fortunate where it's a 45-55-minute drive for me.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I'm a charity entry.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_00: So, like the gratitude of that role grows every year.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_00: Um, very, very fortunate to get in with another charity entry and a great uh organization that means a lot to my heart, that I hold a big space in my heart for.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and it went, it went well.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_00: So, as a lot of my followers know, and as you know, um, it was my first marathon since the DNF in Chicago.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_00: Chicago, October of last year, I attempted the marathon on a stress fracture that was probably 75% healed.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_00: I DNF'd at mile 19.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_00: I was not cleared to run until February of this year.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_00: I did a couple of 5Ks and a couple of training runs that weren't real confidence builders.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_00: The 19 miler that I did the week before Boston was kind of a confidence builder, but it's still 19, not 26.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_00: So to come home with the finishing time that's like 19 minutes better than I expected, I felt great.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_00: The the vibes, the chair stations, the the friends, um, it the it's just it's indescribable.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_00: I'm I'm the guy that stops for every high five and selfie and hype video and hug.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_00: And it was it was really, really special.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_04: Man, Boston vibes are always high, but this year, you were everywhere, even after the race, man.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_04: I saw you on Strava, I saw you in a few news channels, but you had the suit on in every picture I saw.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_04: What was that like to get such a reception?
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_00: So it's so cool.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it's the fifth Boston Marathon that I've worn a suit, a full suit with a shirt and tie.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_00: It obviously gets a ton of reaction.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_00: It is a hey, look at me, but it's not just hey, look at me.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_00: It's hey, look what you can do.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, listen to my story.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_00: Here's some hope, here's some encouragement, here's some empowerment.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_00: The Boston Marathon is so special to me because I struggled with and eventually overcame addiction and being homeless on the same exact street that the Boston Marathon runs miles 23 through 26 and finishes on.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_00: So the finish line is exactly where I had faced some of my doctor's corners of addiction.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_00: The suit is a testament to how far I've come.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_00: And it's also to raise awareness for the awesome charities that I've been involved with over the years.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_00: So fifth Boston Marathon in the suit.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_00: This year, as soon as I crossed the finish line, WCVB, Boston News Channel, put the mic up to me and said, Can I ask you a few questions?
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_00: And I said, Of course you can.
• 20:09
  SPEAKER_00: You got the right guy.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_00: You got the right guy.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_00: And that story immediately gained a ton of traction on social, especially in my own community with everybody reposting and resharing it.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_00: And then it allowed me to share my story more so than any previous year.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_00: So this is the most social media and community traction I've gotten since doing the suit and since running for a charity.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_00: I'm so grateful.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um, two of the local news channels here in my hometown reached out to me, as well as a local network television show.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_00: So I was featured on all three shows, all within 72 hours of finishing the race.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like the the runners' finish line high has not been subdued yet.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_00: Like I'm still in this adrenaline, I am riding the wave.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_00: I get to chat with you, I get to chat with my awesome friend Alex last night.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it's just been very, very, very special.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_00: Hats off to all of the um participants and all of the finishers.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_00: I say it all the time.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just some guy that loves to run.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_00: So to be out there with the elites, with the sub-elites, with the people that compete at such a high level.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_00: I'm one of the charity guys.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_00: Shout out to all the charity men and women, but we're out, we're all out there.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_00: We're all out there running the same distance on the same day and putting out the same effort.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_00: And that's a quote from, you know, this uh awesome young man, Nick, that I use all the time.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_04: All in all, reflecting now, four days out.
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_05: What did this Boston uh race mean to you?
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_05: I mean it means a lot.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_01: It means a ton.
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_01: It me it means everything to me.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_01: I I think I've I've had a ton of reflecting points.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: Throughout this whole like it's been about three years now since I started running, and I don't think any of them are were nearly as impactful as crossing the finish line with a 231 PR in Boston.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um yeah, it meant everything.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_01: Uh it's unlike uh beyond my wildest dreams.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_01: I know I think I said that the last time I'm on here, and like it is even more so because it's you're at the mecca of marathon running, and like this is something that I just wanted to be a part of at all.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_01: Like I wanted to be a marathon finisher three years ago, and I that was my dream was to finish one, and and to be here like and have cut off exactly an hour from my first one.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_01: Uh yeah, it it's I don't know, it's hard to put in words how much it means to me, but like my life has completely changed so much for the better.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm pretty happy about it.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_04: What did this Boston mean to you as a whole now that it's in the past a little bit?
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, um it meant a lot.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_03: Like I I think for me, like I said, I'd been through a lot since my last Boston in 2015.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_03: And I don't think I really reflected on that that much until I got to write on Herford.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_03: And I got to like write on Herford and I looked up at the Hereford sign.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_03: I don't even know if I'm pronouncing that right.
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_04: Sorry if I'm not, but You get It's Boston where like some people pronounce a certain way or another.
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, and so I just like looked up at the street sign, like read it, and I just like mumbled to myself, right on Hereford.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_03: And I like I like started to ball and um had this like emotional moment.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_03: And I think like looking back at that, it's because like I had there's a lot that I went through, like and a lot of work, a lot of work went in to my training between 2015 and 2026.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_03: And uh so I think that's what it was.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_03: It was like this culmination of like years of work um that I had to put in through, you know, different seasons of my life, through like my knee surgery, through the end of a marriage, through all of these things that I've been through.
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_03: And so that's kind of what it meant for me.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_03: It was like I stuck with it, I persevered through all that, and I am here turning right on Hereford, left on Boston.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_04: No, that's beautiful for that to come in in a race, you know, and you you you're literally reaping the benefits of that hard work over so many years.
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_04: That's a beautiful thing to happen mid-race to keep you going, for sure.
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_04: What did this Boston uh marathon cycle and race mean to you?
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_02: So it was a goal, as I mentioned, it's been a goal for what two or three years really, and it was a goal that I had sort of upset myself uh after having my daughter and thinking that it would be a goal and an achievement to work towards for myself.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_02: Um and knowing sort of all the all the finish lines that I had crossed to get to that start line.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_02: Um it felt quite emotional when I was standing there thinking this is finally like the moment that the postpartum me had been thinking about or not even really thinking about, but like envisioning somewhere in the future this might happen.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_02: And then it was there and it happened.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so it felt it was, yeah, it was it was quite emotional, but it it meant it meant a lot to be able to have gone and be on that start line and start to have a good race.
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_04: Maurice, you've done this a few times now, Boston, Boston in a suit, you know, and it's a reminder of your story and how far you come.
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_04: What did this one mean to you now that you've done it a few times?
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_00: It's the gratitude grows.
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_00: The gratitude really grows, and I'll tell you why.
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_00: I've had some people, some very significant people from my present and from my past reach out to me with some real heartfelt messages about how inspired they are, how proud they are, and also I can't always paint the picture as roses and rainbows.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_00: One of the regrets of being somebody that celebrates recovery is you have to remind yourself of all the damage that you did in the past.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I had somebody very significant reach out to me to remind me how bad I was in the past, but also took the time to recognize that I've turned my life around and just acknowledge that.
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_00: And it just means so much.
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_00: It really, really does.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_00: It means so much that because you have that weight on your shoulders.
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_00: Uh yes, I'm like, hey, look at me, the pat on the back, I'm clean, I'm sober.
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_00: I used to be a drug addict, I'm not anymore.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_00: But there were some things that I did that I'm I'm not proud of.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_00: So I just wanted to touch on that because it's not always, you know, roses and rainbows and and like celebrate me, celebrate me, celebrate me.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_00: I used to be a bad guy.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I used to make a lot of bad decisions.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_00: So to have the community as a whole celebrate it and then to deliver a message of hope, um, where if somebody's struggling or if somebody's brand new in recovery, um, I want to show them that the long-term route is the only route.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_00: And it's never just about addiction.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_00: I've had some very, very close, important friends in my life reach out to me and say, I've never struggled with addiction.
• 27:57
  SPEAKER_00: However, your attitude, your positivity, your consistency, your gratitude is contagious and you've helped me overcome personal demons, whether it was relationship-based, career-based, mental health-based, those things mean so much to me because I never wanted to be, oh, this guy, all he talks about is the fact that he used to be a drug addict and he's not anymore.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_00: It's not just that.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_00: It's like, hey, look what you can do.
• 28:27
  SPEAKER_00: If I came from down here and I made it up here, imagine what you can do.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_00: So, and then the crowd this year.
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_00: The crowd this year is just amazing.
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_00: I mentioned before we hopped on the record button, I had some previous clients out there with signs saying, go Maurice, their entire family, friends that were volunteering, friends that were cheering, screaming my name, stopping.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_00: I was stopping for the selfies and the high fives and the hugs.
• 28:53
  SPEAKER_00: And that's it is a whole, it's close enough to be considered a hometown, especially for a world major, um, which is uh which is amazing.
• 29:02
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I only have to pay for gas and parking.
• 29:04
  SPEAKER_00: I don't have to pay for for a flight or anything like that.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm I'm really fortunate.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_00: Um so even with gas prices, it's a lot less expensive than flying somewhere.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_00: So to be in that atmosphere with 30,000 runners and even more spectators and hear somebody call my name, it just I can't put it into words.
• 29:26
  SPEAKER_00: I am it in the and the the Strava Post quoted me perfectly with we are the lucky ones.
• 29:31
  SPEAKER_00: That's one of my favorite mantras because if you're mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially capable to do this type of stuff, um, you're freaking lucky.
• 29:41
  SPEAKER_00: We are the lucky ones.
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_00: There are people that look at us and wish that they could do it.
• 29:44
  SPEAKER_00: Never mind the run for those who can't, the people that aren't in position to put themselves through this physically just because they can't.
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_00: So I I really want to touch on that.
• 29:56
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, when I see somebody that's facing a real challenge, and that's the other piece of this, the other layer, there are people facing much bigger challenges than me putting a suit on for 26 miles.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_00: So that's why I do it.
• 30:09
  SPEAKER_00: Like, yes, it's uncomfortable, and yes, it's an oddball choice of attire, um, but it's to show you that there's people out there doing a lot worse than than than that.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_04: So love the success, man.
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_04: The Strava posts, we are the lucky ones.
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_04: I remember you saying that.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_04: Um I I love it all, man.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_04: Um, hell yeah.
• 30:33
  SPEAKER_04: What was the hardest moment for you of all those 26.2 in the hills and downhills and crowd and screaming girls?
• 30:42
  SPEAKER_01: Oh god.
• 30:43
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I I think everyone talks about the the Newton Hills.
• 30:48
  SPEAKER_01: Those were hard, obviously.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_01: But sneaky hill at the end, like mile 25 and a half, that you go under a bridge, and it's probably like a 30-foot hill.
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_01: Not even well, maybe not even 20, 25 feet.
• 31:05
  SPEAKER_01: For me specifically, it was so hard because I couldn't run uphill with my calves.
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_01: Like I could go downhill, like I could really speed up because I'm landing on my heels.
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_01: I had I almost had no option other than to go up on my toes when I'm going uphill, and I was so like locked in, like I was running like this, you know?
• 31:23
  SPEAKER_01: And there's like a 25-foot hill right before you turn onto Boylston Street, and it was, I mean, I'm like, that was so much harder than any of the other hills.
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_01: It was so brutal.
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_01: So, so brutal.
• 31:36
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like grunting.
• 31:37
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, I couldn't even like you know, formulate good thoughts in my brain.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I'm like, you know, you're making like animal noises at that point.
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_01: Uh so uh that part was yeah, that part was ridiculously hard.
• 31:50
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, I'm just glad that I was able to push through, you know.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_01: That sounds tough, 30 foot under a bridge.
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's just the within that context, too.
• 32:01
  SPEAKER_01: Like that's probably the closest that I got to like stopping or something, you know.
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_01: Uh not that I was hoping to do that, but you know, you get close at some point.
• 32:12
  SPEAKER_04: What did you find the hardest moment this time around?
• 32:17
  SPEAKER_03: Hmm.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_03: There are a lot of mental ups and like like in the race, you mean?
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_05: Yep.
• 32:23
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I mean there are mental ups and downs.
• 32:25
  SPEAKER_03: Like the course is really hard.
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_03: So there was a point where like I was running with um a fellow Canadian, Leanne, who's awesome for like the first, basically right up to Wellesley, like the first half.
• 32:40
  SPEAKER_03: And we had such a good vibe, the two of us.
• 32:43
  SPEAKER_03: And um, shortly after that, I she fell back and I kind of pulled away and I knew she was uh you know, maybe, maybe gonna have a tough day.
• 32:51
  SPEAKER_03: Like I was hoping she wasn't and she was gonna come back.
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_03: But when I when we split up, I think that was like that was tough because A, I didn't want to leave her behind, but then B, um things got a little bit lonely on the course.
• 33:04
  SPEAKER_03: There was no one to run with.
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_03: So um, yeah, I think that was probably the toughest, and then just like trying to mentally stay engaged.
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I think I struggled a little bit.
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_03: I think like at that point, I was just kind of like it was it was kind of it got easier for me to give up on my time goal and and just press the enjoy the date button.
• 33:25
  SPEAKER_03: Um again, like no regrets on that.
• 33:28
  SPEAKER_03: It was great to enjoy the day, but yeah, it was it was harder.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_03: Those kind of lonely miles, and there are lots of people on the course, like on the sidelines and everything, but um it's always I always like to run with a pack, so stuck with her.
• 33:42
  SPEAKER_04: Solo, yeah.
• 33:43
  SPEAKER_04: How many miles do you end up doing solo roughly?
• 33:46
  SPEAKER_03: Um, oh gosh, it wasn't actually too long after that that the men started to pass on me.
• 33:52
  SPEAKER_03: But like I wasn't running with any of them.
• 33:55
  SPEAKER_03: Like they were just like, because these are the like 220 guys that started after us, so they just started kind of like blowing by me.
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_03: So that I I think that was just kind of hard, but you're just being like, like people just constantly overtook.
• 34:10
  SPEAKER_03: Um, it might I can't remember, probably was like mile 16 or so when that started to happen.
• 34:16
  SPEAKER_03: So there were a few lonely miles, and then it was like men blowing by me.
• 34:20
  SPEAKER_04: What did you find uh was the hardest part for you during the whole course?
• 34:23
  SPEAKER_02: Hardest part of the course.
• 34:26
  SPEAKER_02: I was expecting the hills to be, but they weren't.
• 34:32
  SPEAKER_02: I think it's um where I live is really hilly.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_02: So it was like okay, and I think because the course is obviously like a straight line, um, there wasn't a lot to look at.
• 34:44
  SPEAKER_02: Like there are loads of people and spectators, which is great, but there aren't these big like landmarks and everything like there are in other majors.
• 34:50
  SPEAKER_02: Um so actually when I got to the hills, I got a bit excited because I was like, this is the famous bit, like this is the bit that everyone talks about, and I'm about to do it.
• 34:58
  SPEAKER_02: And obviously it's at the latter end of the course, so you know Mars 16 to 21.
• 35:02
  SPEAKER_02: So I felt like it was, you know, I was there to like attack the hills.
• 35:05
  SPEAKER_02: So I actually really enjoyed the hills.
• 35:08
  SPEAKER_02: Um other than I think my body wasn't excited as I was because on the way off Heartbreak Hill, um, I started to get like a really big stitch.
• 35:20
  SPEAKER_02: I think it was just like the up and down, the up and down, the up and down.
• 35:23
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 35:24
  SPEAKER_02: And then I was like, oh no.
• 35:25
  SPEAKER_02: Because I had planned to like really gun the last bit and I just couldn't because my stitch wasn't having it.
• 35:30
  SPEAKER_02: So I'd actually say that the aftermath of Heartbreak Hill actually was my least favourite part because I think it was the bit I was most looking forward to, and then actually I had a stitch.
• 35:41
  SPEAKER_02: So it wasn't that great.
• 35:43
  SPEAKER_02: So I'd say that bit there was my was the toughest part of the course because I was thinking this is my not only is the time that I'm working at kind of ruined now because I can't pick up the speed in the last bit, but also it's just in pain, which is never fun, is it?
• 35:59
  SPEAKER_02: Not bad pain, but like irritating pain.
• 36:01
  SPEAKER_02: So the stitch is irritating.
• 36:05
  SPEAKER_04: Stitch is uh definitely not one of my favorite things.
• 36:08
  SPEAKER_04: I'd rather have like leg soreness, cramp up stitch.
• 36:10
  SPEAKER_04: No.
• 36:11
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's like what are you doing here?
• 36:13
  SPEAKER_02: Like it's you're not welcome.
• 36:16
  SPEAKER_04: It's funny you shared that.
• 36:17
  SPEAKER_04: I remember seeing in your build where you were like Hills Boston.
• 36:21
  SPEAKER_04: I think you posted something like, Am I ready?
• 36:23
  SPEAKER_04: And there was all these Strava segments of hills and hills.
• 36:25
  SPEAKER_04: I'm like, she's gonna be fine.
• 36:28
  SPEAKER_02: It feels familiar.
• 36:30
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but unfortunately, it was clearly it was clearly too much up and down, or I just had been bending or stretching in the wrong way.
• 36:38
  SPEAKER_04: What was the hardest part out there for you this time?
• 36:41
  SPEAKER_00: So I have a lot of positive takeaways from this race, especially coming back from from the injury.
• 36:48
  SPEAKER_00: I think the hardest part was probably miles 12 to 16, 17, um, the rolling hills.
• 36:57
  SPEAKER_00: But I'm very proud of myself for keeping the walking to of like a very minimum this year, which is which is not always the case for me.
• 37:05
  SPEAKER_00: And this was the first time on that course where miles 18 to 22 um really flew by.
• 37:14
  SPEAKER_00: So to have that happen, it was a mental victory for me.
• 37:17
  SPEAKER_00: So it was a physical win as well.
• 37:19
  SPEAKER_00: So I was able to like take that attitude.
• 37:22
  SPEAKER_00: There's only four miles left.
• 37:23
  SPEAKER_00: That's just a long 5K.
• 37:25
  SPEAKER_00: So I think the hardest part was getting over that the mindset of I'm not close, I'm not close, I'm not close.
• 37:33
  SPEAKER_00: So that 12 to 16 mark where I was saying I'm not that close to the finish.
• 37:39
  SPEAKER_00: What am I gonna do?
• 37:40
  SPEAKER_00: You're slowing down.
• 37:41
  SPEAKER_00: Are you running fast enough?
• 37:43
  SPEAKER_00: Are you running enough?
• 37:44
  SPEAKER_00: Are you walking too much?
• 37:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um, that was the hardest part, but it is a very small piece.
• 37:49
  SPEAKER_00: There was so many positives for me this year.
• 37:52
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I actually, it's the first time in a long time that I was beaming with pride um for the accomplishment.
• 38:01
  SPEAKER_00: I'm always proud and grateful for a finish, but sometimes we we compete with ourselves.
• 38:05
  SPEAKER_00: So sometimes we walk away with a little bit of disappointment and discouragement, and that was not the case this year.
• 38:10
  SPEAKER_04: Man, that that's freaking awesome, especially coming after recovering from injury and having such a good race where you end and feel good.
• 38:17
  SPEAKER_04: You ran Boston, you felt the vibes, you crushed it out there.
• 38:21
  SPEAKER_04: Boston Marathon is the Super Bowl of Marathon.
• 38:25
  SPEAKER_04: What's your thoughts and take on that?
• 38:28
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, yeah, like I said, it's like it's the Mecca.
• 38:31
  SPEAKER_01: Uh it's like I've been to Chicago, I've I live here, I I I've been to the race and I've experienced that and like the pre-race like festivities and everything.
• 38:44
  SPEAKER_01: It's not the same.
• 38:45
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's really not.
• 38:47
  SPEAKER_01: Uh like I said, I think it's like not that the exclusivity is a good thing all around necessarily, but for the people that are participating, it is like it does make it such an extraordinary experience because you feel like you're a part of something special.
• 39:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um and so yeah, I would say it is like the Super Bowl.
• 39:12
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, as far as like uh public marathons go, like obviously not everyone gets to be in the Olympic marathon and stuff like that.
• 39:21
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, I would absolutely say this is like the Super Bowl of of marathons for sure.
• 39:28
  SPEAKER_04: Max, congrats, congrats on the building, the 231, man.
• 39:33
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you.
• 39:34
  SPEAKER_04: Appreciate you having me on.
• 39:36
  SPEAKER_04: Paul, you've done a few of these, and this one was a big moment.
• 39:39
  SPEAKER_04: In your opinion, what makes Boston so special and the Super Bowl of marathons?
• 39:43
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, there's a there's a few things.
• 39:45
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, obviously, that like to get there you have to qualify.
• 39:50
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah, you just it's such a dream for so many people, and I think that just like elevates the energy.
• 39:56
  SPEAKER_03: Everyone is just so happy to be there.
• 39:58
  SPEAKER_03: Like, I had I had to work to to earn this spot.
• 40:01
  SPEAKER_03: And so it's just that special feeling of pride when you run down the streets.
• 40:07
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and then of course, like being a world major, just the the crowds and the atmosphere, it's like it's electric.
• 40:15
  SPEAKER_03: Um and there's so many moments running in that race where it's just like you can just be overtaken by just like the energy, the feeling, and um yeah, like what it means to be there.
• 40:30
  SPEAKER_04: For sure, yeah.
• 40:31
  SPEAKER_04: The qualifying the whole divine.
• 40:33
  SPEAKER_04: What's the vibes like, you know, the party?
• 40:36
  SPEAKER_03: Uh like on the course.
• 40:38
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 40:38
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it's insane.
• 40:39
  SPEAKER_03: Like you go through areas where like people aren't just like standing there, like, yay, ringing a cowbell.
• 40:46
  SPEAKER_03: They're like screaming on the side.
• 40:49
  SPEAKER_03: It's it's so different than um most marathons.
• 40:53
  SPEAKER_03: It's just like an extra energy.
• 40:54
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, even just like Wellesley College when you run by, like, it is legitimately like a scream tunnel.
• 40:59
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and so yeah, it just you get like you get to feel like you're just like this celebrity, like like running down the road.
• 41:09
  SPEAKER_04: What made this Boston so special?
• 41:11
  SPEAKER_04: You know, now you've accomplished the dream of hitting Boston, you qualified, you ran it, you ran the hills, stitch included.
• 41:18
  SPEAKER_04: Um what made it so special?
• 41:21
  SPEAKER_02: Um I there were a few things that made it really special feeling on the day when you get there and everyone around you and everyone that's there um has kind of been on the same journey that you have.
• 41:36
  SPEAKER_02: Everyone has known about this event particularly, everyone has tried to qualify, they've been through the qualifying process.
• 41:43
  SPEAKER_02: We've all been through the oh, you've got the time, oh you're actually in, you know, kind of all these different phases, and you know that everyone around you has been through the exact same thing, and there was something really nice in that like solidarity, um, that everyone and everyone there is really passionate about running marathons, and you're all you know, you're all a bit neurotic together.
• 42:02
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so that felt really special.
• 42:04
  SPEAKER_02: And actually, also for me, um, because of the way the qualifying works and the categories work and the waves you're put in, I was surrounded by women.
• 42:13
  SPEAKER_02: And ordinarily when I run in fields, I'm often with majority men and kind of scattered women.
• 42:20
  SPEAKER_02: I was just surrounded by girls.
• 42:22
  SPEAKER_02: We were all kind of there with like our nice hair stuff in, loads of girls with glitter in these beautiful like outfits and these crops, and everyone just looked wonderful.
• 42:31
  SPEAKER_02: And I looked around and I was like, I have never been in a field like this of of women.
• 42:36
  SPEAKER_02: So actually, I ran, you know, basically the whole of Boston thinking this is a girls' race because that's who I was surrounded by.
• 42:42
  SPEAKER_02: And that felt really, really special.
• 42:43
  SPEAKER_02: And I did think at that start line, obviously, it wasn't until what 1970s something that women were really allowed to run competitively anyway.
• 42:52
  SPEAKER_02: And I just stood there thinking of actually not that long ago, none of us were allowed to be here, and we have all worked our way here and we're all here now.
• 43:00
  SPEAKER_02: And for me, we were the majority because of what I could see.
• 43:03
  SPEAKER_02: Obviously, I know the the splits weren't exactly 50-50 this year, they were almost 50-50, but it was really special feeling just being around just all of us just being there, being like, we weren't allowed to be here before, and now look at us, and that thought really special.
• 43:17
  SPEAKER_04: Maurice, what makes Boston so special?
• 43:21
  SPEAKER_04: The Super Bowl Boston Magic.
• 43:24
  SPEAKER_00: It has to be the answer, it has to be the crowd.
• 43:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I experienced 19 miles of Chicago.
• 43:31
  SPEAKER_00: It was amazing.
• 43:31
  SPEAKER_00: I've been to New York City twice.
• 43:33
  SPEAKER_00: The crowds, the diversity of the crowds and the support.
• 43:37
  SPEAKER_00: You can you can see a hip hop group, you can see a gospel choir, you can see a heavy metal band all on one course in New York City.
• 43:46
  SPEAKER_00: So the diversity is very special.
• 43:48
  SPEAKER_00: The Boston magic, the crowd from the college kids to the families, to the dogs, to the police officers, to the medical staff, to the volunteers.
• 43:59
  SPEAKER_00: Everybody is just locked in.
• 44:02
  SPEAKER_00: Shout out to the mile 22 chair station, Live Fit Army.
• 44:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um, they're out of the Boston area and they were at mile 22 with the confetti and the music and the dancing and the videos and shout out to all the volunteers.
• 44:18
  SPEAKER_00: I have a friend that just celebrated 30 years consecutive um volunteering at the finish line.
• 44:24
  SPEAKER_00: We were featured on the on the Boston Marathon Meet the Moment posters.
• 44:27
  SPEAKER_00: So I to me, it it took me a couple of times to realize how many people make this day so special.
• 44:35
  SPEAKER_00: In 2018, when when the when the worst weather was ever recorded, I was walking around Athletes Village chanting, the city is shut down for us, the city is shut down for us, to get people to smile.
• 44:47
  SPEAKER_00: Like, yes, it's the worst weather, and that's not what you want on your marathon that you trained your butt off for so many months and you and you BQ'd for, or you trained and you dreamed about.
• 44:57
  SPEAKER_00: But you have to, and I'm not saying I'm the only one, but you have to flip the perspective.
• 45:01
  SPEAKER_00: We are so lucky to be out there.
• 45:03
  SPEAKER_00: Not only that, the city is shut down for us to do this today.
• 45:08
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so that's the magic.
• 45:10
  SPEAKER_00: It's just it they make you feel like a VIP, whether you're a three-hour, four-hour, five-hour, or six-hour marathon finisher.
• 45:18
  SPEAKER_00: And the fact that those folks are outside for hours waiting for somebody like me.
• 45:24
  SPEAKER_00: When I started, the race had been won.
• 45:27
  SPEAKER_00: Um, somebody had just won the race.
• 45:30
  SPEAKER_00: So that puts it in perspective to how long those people were out there cheering for us.
• 45:34
  SPEAKER_00: And that to me, it just blows me away.
• 45:37
  SPEAKER_00: When you take that last turn down Boylston, the noise is so, so, so loud.
• 45:45
  SPEAKER_00: You can feel it in your body.
• 45:47
  SPEAKER_04: Umaurice, I have to do this.
• 45:49
  SPEAKER_04: So it's Friday.
• 45:51
  SPEAKER_04: What is not sold at the bodega today?
• 45:54
  SPEAKER_00: Personal records are not sold at the corner store.
• 45:57
  SPEAKER_00: So if you want more, then do more.
• 46:01
  SPEAKER_00: Happy stay fresh, feel good, and finish strong Friday, everybody.
• 46:06
  SPEAKER_04: Happy Friday, Maurice.
• 46:08
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you, man.
• 46:08
  SPEAKER_04: As always, I appreciate you, brother, man.
• 46:10
  SPEAKER_04: I love seeing you soaring and growing and running, and I'm happy to have you running again, healthy.
• 46:15
  SPEAKER_04: Hell, you look slimmer.
• 46:17
  SPEAKER_04: You know, I'm just gonna put that out there.
• 46:19
  SPEAKER_00: It might be it might be the Bobashaw.
• 46:23
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for having me.
• 46:24
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's an honor to be able to share the story and to be able to and shout out to everybody that finished that race.
• 46:30
  SPEAKER_00: Shout out to the um my friends at the On the Runs podcast.