A tail wind along the course of the 115th Boston Marathon eased a pair of elites into position to set a new standard for a 26.2-mile marathon, while local runners set personal bests with support from an electrified crowd.
The weather was a key factor in Monday’s race for 40-year-old Mary Holt-Wilson of Westwood, who cut nearly 15 minutes off her time from 2007, crossing the finish line in a personal best 3:15:54.
“It was an amazing day, the weather was perfect, the wind was at our backs,’’ she
said. “It was perfect conditions and I had a great run as result.’’
Justin Renz of Milton, running his seventh Boston Marathon, also clocked a new personal mark of 2:43:17, shaving 2 1/2 minutes off his previous best. Chants from the sidelines of “Checkerboard! Checkerboard!’’ referring to his blue-and-orange checkerboard singlet for Children’s Hospitals’ Miles for Miracles team, kept his energy up.
“The crowds are always fantastic, unbelievable support,’’ said Renz, 39.
The Hopkinton-to-Boston trek is a bucket-list event for many, including Raynham resident Kathy Snelgrove, 40, who said she thought this would be her second and final marathon — until she finished Monday and loved every minute of it.
Her 3:26:19 time qualifies her for next year’s race. She will be there, but plans to run on a charity team.
She agreed that spectator support was one of the best parts and great inspiration.
“It’s nice to hear your name cheered even if it’s not from your family and friends,’’ said Snelgrove, who had written “Kathy’’ on her singlet.
A runner in high school and college, Mansfield resident John Phelps said he decided that the Marathon was the next step. The 26-year-old ran the Hartford Marathon last fall to qualify for Boston and took 10 minutes off his previous time for a new personal record of 2:53:46.
“I remember saying that this was going to be a day I would remember,’’ he said of the moments before the start.
David Lamoureux ran his ninth consecutive Boston Marathon, and said he isn’t giving himself too much rest time: He is competing in a triathlon on May 1 in St. Petersburg, Fla.
The 30-year-old Lakeville resident shaved roughly four and a half minutes off his previous personal best, set last year, with a 2:53:59 finish on Monday.
New mom Pamela Manley of Duxbury knew this year would be more emotional after taking most of 2010 off while pregnant with her now 7-month-old son, Jack, who would be waiting at the finish line with her husband, John, for the first time.
Manley said she loves the course, the vibe, the city, and the crowd. Her time of 3:07:14 was her best Boston finish in six runs.
“It’s my hometown marathon,’’ said the 33-year-old Manley, a member of the BAA Running Club. “The buzz around the city the few days beforehand gets you psyched up. You don’t have to worry about getting excited to run, the crowd does it for you.’’
Published in the Boston Globe and on Boston.com – April 21, 2011
By Sarah Moomaw
Globe Correspondent / April 21, 2011