Boston question.... Is it realistically possible to start in the 3:00 wave and run a 2:50?

Not going to happen. That hill at the end is TOO BIG for mere mortals.

If you could get to the front of that wave, it is possible. Lots of people start too fast because Boston starts downhill. If you are okay with hitting 2 miles in over 13 min (even with the downhills) you can do it. You may have to start slower than normal, but that is not a bad thing in Boston.

What's the time spread between the waves?

Any idea how many waves between 3:02 & 2:50?

Not only yes but h*ll yes. The roads are wide. Don't kill yourself in the early miles wasting energy to pass people. You'll have lots of room in the last 10 or 15 miles of the race to do that. I see a 2:46 for you on a day with a nice tailwind.

Boston maybe wrote:

What's the time spread between the waves?

Any idea how many waves between 3:02 & 2:50?

After you register with the 3:02 if you run a faster marathon before April 2016 you can change corral.

You would start in the first wave. Last year they had 9 corrals per wave. I was supposed to be in corral 9 (3:10 qualifying time) but didn't run due to injury. A friend who had a 2:56 qualifying time was in corral 5 or 6, can't forget. She got out and had plenty of room. You should be fine. I did run from corral 9 in wave 1 in 2013 and it was a bit tight the first two miles but it opened up pretty good from there. You can weave through the slower runners ahead of you, just be careful as the spacing is tight the first two miles or so. Even if the 3:02 puts you in corral 8, you should be okay.

FYI....I got into my first Boston with a 3:03 and ran 2:54....

The first couple miles are downhill and everyone goes out too fast. Having people around you is an advantage to running a good time if you don't try to fight it.

You must remember that even though there are over 20,000 runners, a 3 hour marathon puts you in the top 10 - 20% or so. When I last ran I had a 3:15 qual time and didn't have much of an issue with traffic after the first 7 or 8 miles were done. Most people go out way to fast and then pay for it after that. They are just sitting ducks for you to pick off. But not so crowded you can't pass.

Definitely possible. I ran Boston 2014 after a 3:02 BQ on absolutely no training. By the time the race rolled around I was in sub-2:40 shape. Started in corral 6 and made sure I was right up at the front. The first 15k was a mess of people - weaving all over the road, accelerating/slowing down, running on lawns, etc. However combined with the early downhill I was able to keep on pace, then start focusing after 10 miles when the crowds thinned out. Finished up in 2:41.

The biggest obstacle will be remaining patient and not trying to 'make up' time with overly aggressive surges early on. If you can stay calm the first half of the race will go by very quickly, without much perceived effort, and you'll be able to run close to even splits.

I got into my first Boston with a 2:52, which placed me in the 2nd corral. I ended up running 2:34.

A few years ago, I was just getting over a knee injury and I qualified with a 3:23 (I'm old), and therefore started toward the very back of the first wave. I was in better shape at Boston and ran 3:11. The crowd didn't slow me down at all. As others have said, it may even have helped to keep me at my goal pace, instead of going too quickly.

Definitely Doable wrote:

A few years ago, I was just getting over a knee injury and I qualified with a 3:23 (I'm old), and therefore started toward the very back of the first wave. I was in better shape at Boston and ran 3:11. The crowd didn't slow me down at all. As others have said, it may even have helped to keep me at my goal pace, instead of going too quickly.

Far too many runners go out too fast at Boston, the early downhills trash their quads, and they pay for it later in the Newton Hills. You will be just fine starting in the 3-hr corral.

OAT wrote:

Definitely possible. I ran Boston 2014 after a 3:02 BQ on absolutely no training. By the time the race rolled around I was in sub-2:40 shape. Started in corral 6 and made sure I was right up at the front. The first 15k was a mess of people - weaving all over the road, accelerating/slowing down, running on lawns, etc. However combined with the early downhill I was able to keep on pace, then start focusing after 10 miles when the crowds thinned out. Finished up in 2:41.

The biggest obstacle will be remaining patient and not trying to 'make up' time with overly aggressive surges early on. If you can stay calm the first half of the race will go by very quickly, without much perceived effort, and you'll be able to run close to even splits.

/thread

This year I started in the pen 6 out of 8 in London with people aiming to do it in 4h15' and finally I did it in 2h 57', so don't worry too much about the waves.

Cheers