Sunday 16th April 2023 – 8am

Boston UK, Why, I hear you cry! 😎

Having flown around the globe 🌍 for 22 years with two airlines and lucky enough to visit and run in some of the most incredible places around the globe, I have always wanted to get my hands on that six star Abbott World Marathon Majors Medal 💙

For those of you unsure what this is – The Abbotts World Marathon Majors is a championship-style competition for marathon runners that started in 2006.  It is a series of six of the largest and most renowned marathons in the world – Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York. The six star medal was introduced by the Abbott World Marathon Majors in 2016 to honour the runners who complete all six major marathons.

In 2019 our clubs legends 🖤❤️Pete Daws (The Ledge), Roberto (the Italian Stallion) Neal Robinson, jetted off to Tokyo to complete their final sixth race – The Tokyo Marathon.  For me, this sealed the deal, the adventure was on!

I ran London (the first time) in 2013, was fortunate to get in the ballot for the 2016 New York marathon 🗽, lucky in the ballot for the 2019 Berlin Marathon and my luck continued in the ballot for an entry into Chicago 🍕 for 2020.  Sadly though, as you know, the pandemic hit so Chicago had to take a back seat until the world recovered – that dream will come true in October later this year 🤩

Out of the six star marathons, the two that are the hardest to get in are Boston 🇺🇸(USA) and Tokyo.  To run Boston (USA) there is no ballot, you have to obtain a time that is set by the Boston Athletics Association (BAA) 💙💛 for your age, known as a Boston Qualifier (BQ).  For me, an old bird 😜 it’s 3:50, but research shows over the history of the marathon that you need to run at least 10 minutes under to have a proper shot at securing a place when entries open later this year.

One of the ‘flatest, fastest marathons in the UK’ is Boston in Lincolnshire.  They advertise it as a ‘PB Chasers Dream’.  When we saw this, we were sold and entered last year.  I knew, 2023 it was now or never to go, get that BQ time 💙💛

The Boston (UK) course, you couldn’t have ran on a more ‘pancake flat’ 🥞 route.  What they class as a hill, down here we call it a speed bump 😂 !  The weather was perfect ☀️ although a little hot as you were running out in the open with no shelter, and the crowds, well there weren’t any, only the groups of marshals at every water station who were fabulous, supportive and kept everyone going.  The camaraderie between 600 club runners was pretty awesome as everyone was there with one intention, to cross that line with a personal best.

For me personally, I wasn’t coming home without that sub 3:50 and for the fluffs, who has been unwell 🤧 recently, and ‘just wanted to finish’, to see him cross the line with a new PB was the icing on the cake 🎂 for a great weekend.  That evening, although a little sunburned 🦞 we celebrated with a fabulous meal washed down with plenty of celebratory cocktails 🍹

I’m in no doubts that the Accumulator challenge at the beginning of January paved the way for the start of our fundamental base to marathon training so a HUGE thanks to Hendo and Team Wolo 💛 not to mention the great black and red support we’ve had, before, during and after.

If you can dream it, you can do it.  If you can imagine it, you can achieve it.  If you can dream it, you can become it.  If you can dream it, then you can achieve it.

 Tinks 🧚🏻‍♂️ (3:34:46 new PB) and Fluffy 🐌(4:01:25 new PB)