An Unforgettable Boston Marathon Experience
- 15 minutes ago
- 1 min read
by Trinity Gruenberg
For many runners, the Boston Marathon is a bucket-list item.
For Jessica Miller, that dream became a reality on April 20 when the Bertha-Hewitt teacher not only finished the legendary 26.2-mile race but also achieved a personal record time of 3 hours, 38 minutes, and 9 seconds.
“I went in just wanting to enjoy the experience,” Miller said. “If I could come in under four hours, I would be ecstatic. Anything around 4:30, and I was just going to soak it all in.”
On a cool day with a temperature of 48 degrees, Miller ran what she describes as the best race of her life, although her cheering section, consisting of her husband Kenny and daughter Kendra, felt quite chilly.
Miller secured her place in the Boston Marathon last May at the Fargo Marathon, where she ran fast enough to meet the Boston qualifying mark for her age group.
“I had joked back then, ‘If I qualify, we should go to Boston.’ It was always kind of in the back of my mind—a bucket-list thing,” said Miller.
Boston is unlike most marathons in terms of scale and logistics. About 30,000 runners are registered, with more than 27,000 ultimately finishing. To manage the crowds, the race organizes multiple starting waves and corrals...
