On April 17th, 2023, nearly 30,000 athletes from more than 100 countries gathered in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to run the annual Boston Marathon. Started in 1897, the Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon and one of six World Marathon Majors. The Independent spoke to several Harvard students who ran the marathon this spring about their qualification process, training, and race experience.
Runners can either qualify for the marathon by meeting challenging time standards or through the Boston Athletic Association Official Charity Program, which provides various non-profit organizations with invitational entries to the Boston Marathon. Several Harvard students qualified through the latter route.
Jenny Li ’23 ran for Team Joslin, a team of athletes who participate in various events to fundraise for the Joslin Diabetes Center. “I knew I wasn’t going to qualify for the marathon through the time route, but the meaning of the marathon changes when I’m running for a charity; it reshapes the meaning of running to something other than performance,” Li said.
Like Li, Nick Apostolicas ’25 ran for Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, which provides rehabilitation services and medicine to those who have experienced tragic accidents or illnesses. “It has been incredibly fulfilling to hear peoples’ stories about regaining strength and mobility, regaining independence, being able to participate in athletic sports again,” said Apostolicas.
In addition to several health and rehabilitation focused organizations, the BAA Official Charity Program includes teams ranging from children centers, sports programs, and veteran-focused initiatives.
David Paquette ’23 ran for Boston Scores, a soccer and team-based enrichment program for underprivileged urban youth in Boston. “Soccer has been a highly influential part of my own personal development, and as current captain of the Harvard Men’s Varsity Soccer team, my passion for cultivating a love for the game and the learning opportunities it brings with the next generation has never been higher,” Paquette wrote on his fundraising page.
Federico Rollo ’23 took a more unconventional route, running for his alma mater, Boston Latin School. “The way I got a bib was untraditional—Boston Latin doesn’t usually receive bibs for the Boston Marathon, but there’s a Boston Latin alum involved with The Boston Latin School Association who is also on the board of directors for the Boston Athletic Association. I reached out to him in the fall to see if it would be possible for me to obtain a bib for BLS,” said Rollo.
Although varying widely on skill level, preparation, and commitment, training processes typically take months to complete.
“I ran a lot more in middle and high school; I did varsity track and cross country. I got injured my junior year; it was hard to quit since a lot of my identity was centered around being a runner,” said Li. “I started running again during COVID and really rebuilt my relationship with running. I decided this year that I wanted to train for the Boston Marathon—it’s my senior year and I wanted to try and run it,” said Li.
In the months preparing for the event, local teams can be seen training together to facilitate camaraderie and competitiveness.
“My training started in December, and it was pretty light then. Every weekend starting in January, my team at Spaulding has gone on runs together,” Apostolicas stated in the week before the Marathon. “We meet at 9AM on Saturday, leave from a different location, and go on a long run. It started at 10 miles, and last weekend, we did 21 miles. The training program has been really rewarding, and it’s a cool opportunity to run with all these people with different motivations.”
In the weeks leading up to the race, runners typically employ a taper period that helps to reduce exercise intensity and prepare for race day.
“Now I’m tapering down because the marathon’s coming up—I’m still running often but the distance is a lot shorter and the pace is a lot slower,” said Rollo.
“The taper season has been good for me and I’ve been needing the lower mileage,” Li added.
On the morning of the race, runners are assigned to waves by qualifying or self-submitted expected times, and meet downtown in groups to board the bus to Hopkinton. “There are massive processions of thousands of people packed together going down. So you don’t really get to warm up,” Paquette recounted. “There’s no way for people to get their clothes back from the start. So everybody buys clothes from Goodwill and stuff and then strips off like their sweatshirts and sweatpants and just throws it on the ground… So it’s kind of chaotic at the start, which is some of the fun.”
The race’s first mile is packed as some runners fall behind while others speed ahead. “It’s a pretty hectic space and you’re worried about your time and your pacing and you’re like ‘oh no, I shouldn’t have gone this fast,’ but [you] just kind of soak in the moment and really realize this is the beginning of it. This is the beginning of one of your dreams and you’re about to conquer it,” said Apostolicas.
Each runner carries their own goals for the 26.2 miles. “I came in with certain ambitions for time and stuff because you train a lot,” said Paquette. “But once it started, I quickly realized in the first couple of miles, it was just going to be about having fun. It wasn’t gonna be about the time. It was going to be about what you remember and the experience and I’m glad that’s the mentality.”
Once the pack dies down, runners begin to settle into their pace and compensate for time lost in the first mile. Some run in teams while others run alone, relying on the crowd’s energy to maintain motivation.
Thousands of local college students and Bostonians pull up to watch the famous race. The Boston College stretch, for example, occurs around mile 21, right after Heartbreak Hill, a steep half-mile uphill at mile 20.
“The crowds really carry you through,” said Apostolicas. “Boston College was fantastic. The atmosphere was absolutely electric. Also the Wellesley College scream tunnel—you hear this thing from half a mile away.”
The race’s final stretch occurs while turning right on Hereford and left on Boylston. “Something overtakes you at that moment. You’re just hit with a wave of euphoric emotions, and it’s such a surreal moment. You kind of realize your dream is about to come true,” Apostolicas explains. “All the hard work and the six months of training and fundraising and all the hours you put into it are about to pay off. And this is what you worked for. I started crying.”
Paquette explained his experience crossing the finish line. “I was kind of in a daze. It was crazy that it happened and that it was over,” he said. Months of training culminated in a few hours on an overcast April Monday.
Reflecting upon his experience, Aspostolicas shared “My body is very sore, but the return to life has been pretty incredible… I encourage everyone, if it is a goal of yours, to attempt it at one point in your life. I think it’s one of the most rewarding experiences you could possibly take on. And it’s also something that’s completely in your control that if you work hard for a consistent amount of time, you could definitely achieve it.”
“It was so magical and truly one of the best days of my life,” Li echoed. “The energy was indescribable, and it was amazing to see my friends out there with the Boston community cheering all of us on every step of the way,” she said.
“The feeling at the end is one I wouldn’t trade for anything,” said Apostolicas.
Caroline Hao ’25 (carolinehao@college.harvard.edu) and Hannah Davis ’25 (hannahdavis@college.harvard.edu) write Sports for the Independent.