Boston Marathon jacket etiquette

I don't understand the people saying that others are just "jealous" that you qualified. Wow. How is running the current standards a big accomplishment? All it means is that you jogged with reasonable frequency for a few months, and got some long runs in. I "qualified" in my first marathon a few months after I quit smoking and started running. I am now almost 50, and can still easily hit the 18-34 "open" standard. I am not proud of that; I am a hobby jogger and anyone who puts forth a minimum of effort should be able to do it.

If you took 30 minutes off every standard listed below, then it would be at least *some* sort of accomplishment. But even then, it wouldn't be very hard (2:55 for M45-49, for example).

18-34 3hrs 05min 00sec 3hrs 35min 00sec

35-39 3hrs 10min 00sec 3hrs 40min 00sec

40-44 3hrs 15min 00sec 3hrs 45min 00sec

45-49 3hrs 25min 00sec 3hrs 55min 00sec

50-54 3hrs 30min 00sec 4hrs 00min 00sec

55-59 3hrs 40min 00sec 4hrs 10min 00sec

60-64 3hrs 55min 00sec 4hrs 25min 00sec

65-69 4hrs 10min 00sec 4hrs 40min 00sec

70-74 4hrs 25min 00sec 4hrs 55min 00sec

75-79 4hrs 40min 00sec 5hrs 10min 00sec

80 and over 4hrs 55min 00sec 5hrs 25min 00sec

There are a lot of awesome dudes here, but you fly alone in your awesomeness dude.

I mean, every runner should be like you dude. You are a standard busting dude in a sport that needs your level of awesomeness.

I feel all tingly just sharing some bandwidth with you.

Dr Yes wrote:

There are a lot of awesome dudes here, but you fly alone in your awesomeness dude.

I mean, every runner should be like you dude. You are a standard busting dude in a sport that needs your level of awesomeness.

I feel all tingly just sharing some bandwidth with you.

Nothing in your reply makes any sense. I couldn't make it more clear that I DON'T think it's awesome in any way to run the very mediocre standards for Boston. I am definitely not awesome in being able to to it, and neither is anyone else. There's simply nothing awesome about it.

However, the fact that I've upset you clearly proves that *you* think qualifying is a tough, hard-earned and awesome achievement, and it means a lot to you.

I'm sorry for you that you entirely missed the point of what I said. You're an idiot. Good luck with that.

This will be my second time racing Boston. Last year I bought the jacket in February, kept it in its package and tucked away until I went to Boston, then it stayed in my suitcase until AFTER I finished the race. The feeling of putting it on afterward is amazing. I am doing the exact same thing this year and will do it every year I run Boston.

Amanda P. wrote:

This will be my second time racing Boston. Last year I bought the jacket in February, kept it in its package and tucked away until I went to Boston, then it stayed in my suitcase until AFTER I finished the race. The feeling of putting it on afterward is amazing. I am doing the exact same thing this year and will do it every year I run Boston.

I also keep it tucked away, except it's under my bed. A few minutes before going to sleep I take it out. Ten minutes later, I put it back underneath my bed. Crumpled.

BQ dreaming.

Reminds me of a runner at Oklahoma State. High school walk-on shows up with a letter jacket with All-State patches and high school medals attached. When he walked the medals clanked.

He was forever known as "Patch Man."

Igy

They should have Boston gear without a date so when my 04 stuff rags out I can buy more. I can't buy this year because I'm not running.

In a side note to the thread about tats, I'm getting the unicorn, year, and my bib number tattooed on my ankle. Who needs a jacket?

#uradouchejustaskinaboutit

Amanda P. wrote:

This will be my second time racing Boston. Last year I bought the jacket in February, kept it in its package and tucked away until I went to Boston, then it stayed in my suitcase until AFTER I finished the race. The feeling of putting it on afterward is amazing. I am doing the exact same thing this year and will do it every year I run Boston.

Ha that's exactly what I've done for 12 years. It's a tangible reward for a lot of hard work. Let the haters hate, the jackets are cool. Good luck out there!

the jacket's fine. china cheap but fine, nothing special, not bad. worth about $30

you're paying for the logo. that unicorn costs $80

First go around with Boston I ran a 2:32 qualifier, didn't buy the jacket, dropped out at about mile 14. Next attempt qualified with similar time and slogged through with a 2:39, didn't buy jacket, and third attempt got real fit, ran a 2:28 and a low 2:30 in buildup and dnf'd again around 10 or 12 miles because of antibiotics I had to take the week of the race which caused havoc on my stomach. I've never figured out that event, lots of variables. Do research on the little things of the event, like stuff to bring with you while you sit under a tent for 2 hours before the start, or how to save energy while standing at the start for 30 minutes, and don't worry about the jacket. You get a nice shirt anyway. You can throw that on if you go out to a bar or party and use that as your conversation starter. As fun as the race can be, you are sort of completely off your game there if your used to running small town marathons where you can walk to the start from your hotel or house.

jack(et) the money wrote:

the jacket's fine. china cheap but fine, nothing special, not bad. worth about $30

you're paying for the logo. that unicorn costs $80

Completely agree. I qualified 6 times before I ran it. Then figured I might as well get the jacket. I had to fight budget instincts when I registered for the race, got a hotel, and bought the jacket. I could have ran three Marathons for the cost of Boston.

Honestly, I had no idea that Boston Marathon jackets were supposed to be an icon until one of my in-laws told me. In any event, I would not wear one under any circumstances.

First, they are all absolutely hideous. All of them. They're still like the worst of 1990s' running fashion.

Second, it's obvious that you're wearing it to brag, because they're so expensive. It's not like a finisher shirt that you got for free and could plausibly be wearing because it's the only thing clean. You bought that thing so you could show off.

Third, even if it were free, most hardcore runners don't actually want to brag to the population at large. (To each other? Sure.) What we do is so extreme and difficult to relate to that we usually don't bother trying to explain it to civilians.

Fourth, (here's the really snobby answer), qualifying for Boston isn't difficult enough that I would want to brag about it.

Instead of spending money on jacket mostly for vanity reasons, consider donating to a worthwhile running cause: Rosie Ruiz pride building for young girls. ISIS runners with low self esteem, Young Harvard Educated female runners with great social media skills.

Anyone who was running 30 years ago would get the point about the much easier standards but a 2:35 qualifying time for 18-34 year-olds? Come on man; don't you know that only about 2% of the field breaks three hours in almost every marathon of any size? 2:45 for 40-44 year-olds?

That's not the thinking of anyone with any knowledge of running.

Nobody in the world at large cares about nitch cliques and their worries about jacket propriety.

The last person I spoke with who had a trophy from Boston, didn't even know where it was.

A Boston Marathon jacket is for anyone who is dying for someone to ask, "Gee, did you run the Boston Marathon?" This will be my third Boston and I've never once considered buying a jacket.