Boston Marathon Sub 2:30 Runners

Yes, you'll be in 1-1. Look at previous results to see the depth

The first coral is not chaotic at all, you'll be across the line within a few seconds of the gun and should have no issues in the first miles. Bigger issue is the long wait inn the athletes village and the walk to the corrals, which can be crowded. You can always head down to the start a little before they call your group, and do your warm up and have plenty of free bathrooms by the CVS.

what 5k/half marathon times do you need to be able to make your debut at boston? i don't mean your first boston ,i mean having your first marathon be boston

Last year it was 15minutes behind the women (I think) which means maybe a little traffic, say midway or wherever. You do the math. Times haven’t been released this year yet. Let’s see what they do.

When the rope is released, just before the connon, you will all move up about 40 ft. A downside of being in a front corral is the little streams of urine passing by.

I ran Boston last year targeting a 2:30 time (i came in with a PR of 2:24, but sme setbacks and injuries made a PR unlikely). I didn't end up running very well that day, I made some really basic mistakes and I think you could benefit from my rookie mistakes. Boston CAN be a fast course, but its difficult to run correctly. Dont let anyone disuade you, a ton of Pros have run their best marathons at Boston, including Ryan Hall, Meb Keflezghi, Scott Fauble (not to mention the obvious legends like Bill Rogers, Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley, Greg Meyer etc). If you are smart you can crush Boston. Here are some things I wish I did differently.

1) Seriously train on hills. Find routes in your local area with slightly more elevation change than the Boston course, and learn how to run them at an even EFFORT. Boston isn't a course that you should click off consistent 5:42 miles. Run all sorts of different paces, get comfortable converting any type of workout to an effort-based session on a hilly course.

2) Maybe once a week treat yourself to an ego-boosting flat, classic checking-your-splits type workout. It's important to know what 5:42 pace feels like, then in your hill workouts, if you are running 5:30 or 6:00 you can compare that to how MP should feel.

3) Consider running semi-regular downhill runs. Im from Utah, home of tons of downhill canyon marathons. The top guys are running fast long runs down canyons every weekend, that is the best way to callous the legs to the downhill pounding. Boston has a lot of downhill, the first 10k can beat you up, and mile 15-16 leading in to Newton can beat you up. Maybe you could do something like 10 miles at adjusted MP down hill, then some tempo Ks on rolling hills.

4) Don't try to bank time in the first half of the course. Seriously, don't do it. The best runners tend to run even 13.1 splits, or to even run the 2nd 13.1 a little faster. You should run through Wellesley feeling GOOD. You should get to the Newton Hills with plenty of fuel, you should get to the top of heartbreak hill ready to attack. In my Boston I spent everything I had to get UP heartbreak hill on pace, and I assumed that the downhill 10k into the City would just naturally flow. NOPE. you need to let the hills naturally roll, then muster everything you have to attack that last 10k.

5) run in as many inclement conditions as possible. Boston is notorious for bad weather, chances are pretty slim that you will get a perfect weather day. That is ok, you can PR on a day with sub-optimal weather, you just have to train yourself to not freak out if there is a little headwind or some rain. A lot of runners ruin their race by over-checking the weather forecast, they allow themselves to be defeated before the even line up. Realize that not everything is going to be perfect on race day, and practice telling yourself that it is ok.

Yes, 70 elite women and a 2:30 runner might catch a half dozen stragglers in the last few miles. Tons of traffic.

Boston start is very well organized and corral seeding is very strictly enforced. No one is allowed in a higher corral than what they qualified for. If the race officials don't eject the freeloaders, the other runners will! With a 2:31 BQ, you will be very near the front line and won't have to jostle and bump with other runners like in the slower corrals. And the spectators, of course, are overwhelming, the best anywhere! With downhill the first 12 miles or so, it's easy to start out too fast and flame out in the Newton hills. Keep to your pace and save the energy for those last 6 miles. The last half mile or so down Boylston street is the closest any of us will ever get to running in the Olympics. Good luck!

You're not going to have any issues OP. Just make sure to line up towards the front of the corral. Wave 1 Corral 1 cutoff is usually high-2:40s/low-2:50s. 6:30 pace is different from 5:45 pace and, with the narrow start, it can be hard to pass early. Plus you don't want to waste energy weaving off of the start line. The good news is that a ton of people take the first mile/5k/10k/half way too fast. You'll have people with you through halfway that run 2:35-2:40+. It'll probably thin out for you in Newton but there are usually some 2:29-2:30 packs that stay together basically to the finish. That's the nice thing about doing a race with so much depth.

The bigger problem with Boston imo is managing the time before the start. Conserve energy. Stay off your feet. Line up at the front of the corral ready to go.