Nothing says Patriot’s Day like Olympic caliber athletes and enthusiasts dressed as red solo cups. The Boston Marathon runs deep through the campus and the hearts of Boston University students, adding to the prestige and pride of one of the world’s premier racing events.
THE RUNNERS
“In the running world, being a Boston qualifier is like having some elite status,” said Aviva Gat, a College of Communication alumna participating in this year’s marathon.
“Actually running the marathon is an even more prestigious thing,” she said.
Gat began running competitively in 2009. What started as a hobby turned into a full-fledged commitment with Gat adding eight full marathons and one ultra-marathon—more than 32 miles—to her racing resume over the past three years.
“Honestly, it was mostly because I was bored so I figured what better way to spend my time than to train for a marathon?” she said. “Knowing both of my parents were ultra-marathon runners and watching so many people run the Boston Marathon while I was at BU, I thought, why can’t I run a marathon too?”
Unlike Gat, who is new to the Patriot’s Day race course, School of Management Senior Shi-Hua Chin has been an involved athlete for all of her academic life. She has run in five marathons—three of them in Boston—and three Ironman triathlons under her belt.
“This year’s different, I’m using the Boston Marathon as training for another Ironman race I have coming up in June, and I thought this would be a good time in my training to test the waters and see how fast I can go after biking 50 miles,” Chin said.
Although Gat is a marathon newcomer, her past experiences with the race have been as a student watching the spectacle from the sidelines. She said she expects to find a receptive and excited crowd on Monday.
“I think watching the runners was very inspirational and ultimately led to my running of the marathon, so I’m very grateful that Marathon Monday is such a big celebration,” she said. “I will definitely appreciate all the students cheering me on.”
For both runners, the atmosphere in Boston on race day is an integral part of the whole experience. With thousands of rowdy fans lining the streets, marathon runners rarely find a dull moment in the race.
“You know you’re running with the best of the best and it’s great, especially when you run by the Wellesley scream tunnel or by Boston College when drunk people try to offer you beers,” Chin said.
THE TRAINERS
As the host of one of the premier running events in the world, the Boston Athletic Association caps the number of runners for the marathon at around 25,000. This makes it one of the hardest marathons to qualify for, Gat said.
Jennifer Battaglino is a class instructor for the Fitness & Recreation Center distance running course, “Marathon 101: Training, Tips and Techniques.” She said that proper training, nutrition and psychology are key to success in such a competitive race. Battaglino, an accomplished marathon runner herself, created the class as a guide for people wanting to train for the marathon in a healthy way.
“When I started training to run in Boston, I didn’t really know what I was doing.” Battaglino said. “There are so many different ways of training and so many controversies in terms of what you should or shouldn’t be doing that it’s nice to have a class that can help you get through all of those.”
Trainers such as Battaglino and Michael Lagomarsine, head of strength and conditioning at the BU Athletic Enhancement Center and trainer for the Complete Athlete series for runners at FitRec, said they believe a well-structured and comprehensive strategy are the most important aspects of a runner’s training.
“An aspect that athletes in general don’t really focus on is the sports psychology part,” Lagomarsine said. “It’s such a long race that your mind can go anywhere, so knowing when to let your mind go and knowing when and how to pull it back and focus on one step at a time is important.”
Lagomarsine, who is currently overseeing the training of the Cambridge Sports Union for Monday’s race, and Battaglino, who is working with eight students in her class for the marathon, recognize the pressures that marathon training puts on the schedules of regular students and adults.
A proper marathon training regimen should start at least 12 weeks prior to the event, Lagomarsine said.
“A lot of it is just getting out there and doing. You may have to go out and do a four hour run on a Saturday morning, and you really wanted to be out the night before or you had a test to study for,” Battaglino said. “Those sorts of things come up, and you just have to find a way to fit it into your schedule.”
THE VOLUNTEERS
If balanced nutrition and a proper training schedule are pre-race must haves, then the commitment of the fans and volunteers on race day is what truly motivates runners to put one foot in front of the other.
“Athletes these days are freaks of nature,” said Paul Smith, a Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences senior majoring in athletic training.
Smith is also a three-year volunteer for the marathon. He said running a marathon is one of the most physically taxing things that a human can do.
Smith, along with 15 other BU undergraduate athletic training students and six faculty members, will be on the route race day working in medical tents and tending to runners.
BU Athletic Training Services Director Mark Laursen said dozens of BU students will help set up supplies and tents the day before the event.
Specifically, Smith will be working as the right-hand man to Chris Troyanos, the medical director for the Boston Athletic Association. His role this year made him responsible for planning meetings with medical staff and organizing a pre-race conference for marathon’s the athletic training student volunteers.
“As an athletic training student, I have a love of sports as well as a desire to help people,” Smith said. “Working with this level of athletes is something many people in the profession of athletic training don’t have the opportunity to do, so being in Boston and presented with that opportunity it would have been tough to pass it up.”
Students majoring in athletic training in Boston have a unique opportunity come Marathon Monday, which gives them a chance to volunteer early for an event that relates to their future careers.
As a matter of community, the marathon is a source of pride for most students and Boston locals.
“The Boston folks would tell you it’s the Holy Grail of racing events,” Laursen said.
THE STUDENTS
For BU students, Marathon Monday serves as more than just an excuse to take the day off from Spring semester. The spectacle that is the marathon is hard to ignore when part of its route runs directly through the heart of east campus.
“With all my friends, it’s about an excuse for us to all get together and hang out,” said SAR senior P.J. Beaudry. “Last year I had friends that lived right on the marathon route, and we had a friend from BC running in it so we cheered from the sidelines.”
Whether they are participating in campus traditions or making new ones with friends, students consider Marathon Monday a semester highlight.
“My friends and I love to cook, so we’ll probably end up having a huge brunch, watching the race and celebrating,” said SAR Senior Sophia Pascual. “Maybe watching the runners will get us inspired.”
The proximity of Kenmore Square to campus, an important final leg of the marathon, makes it easy for BU students to participate in the festivities. Weather permitting, springtime sunshine allows students to enjoy the race and a break from busy schedules.
“Last year I had a friend who was running it so my friends, and I went to Kenmore and watched her pass,” said Priscilla Park, a SAR junior.
Aside from the athletic prowess of the runners, the throngs of fans on the sidelines serve as entertainment for anyone who ventures out on the streets on Marathon Monday.
“Last year we joked around with the dudes dressed in short-shorts and leggings and hung out with some guys dressed as red solo cups,” Beaudry said.
For more on Marathon Monday, check out The Daily Free Now’s Marathon Monday Survival Guide
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