How easy is it to get dropped off near the start if you are not in a shuttle bus? I'd like to have my wife drop me off around 8AM but am concerned that we won't get very close to the start...Obviously this is my first time running Boston.
How easy is it to get dropped off near the start if you are not in a shuttle bus? I'd like to have my wife drop me off around 8AM but am concerned that we won't get very close to the start...Obviously this is my first time running Boston.
Not easy at all. I was there 3 or 4 years ago, and I remember seeing a bunch of people walking in. I think it's about 2 miles from the roadblock to the start. The buses will not stop to pick up people along the road.
I know some runners who park their cars somewhat near the NYC Marathon finish the day before the race so they can get away quickly. Taking that idea to the other side. Has any one used one of those van/RV conversions/sleep in svu's and paid a local a few bucks to park overnight on their property?. This leads to the question of the options of staying overnight at a local house,do any Hopkintonians rent out rooms/couch space before the race?
I remember being picked up at an office park outside of Hopkinton by a shuttle bus. That was in 2000 so it is possible this may still or may not be available. If you search the marathon information you should be able to find out about it - if they still have it. It was great because there were no large crowds as most are shuttled in from Boston.
Get dropped off at one of the two locations in here:
http://www.hopkintonpd.org/marathonmaps.htm
(I go to south street because it's more convenient to where I live)
Shuttle buses run continuously from these places to the start.
I've never taken a bus to the start from Boston.
Every time I've done Boston, I've got dropped off by a friend, family member at the 495 Exit (Rt. 85 North) leading to Hopkinton. There are cops there, and always groups of people looking to get on a bus to the start. You go there, and you'll get to the start. You don't want to walk, as it's closer to 4-5 miles.
This is the best solution. One year, I arrived a bit late and got a ride by a state trooper.
If your wife wants to go to the start go to the state park.
Good job distance guy, and good luck.
Save your money and run Vermont City in Burlington VT on Memorial Day weekend.
I'm digging up this because there is NFW I want to get up at 5 to trudge into Boston to get on a 6am bus for a 10am start. I need an alternative.
How well does it work to get dropped off at I- 495, exit 21B, and walk to the start? It's about 1.3 miles vs. 0.7 miles from the athletes' village, so not much extra walking. My driver could get off 495, stop at the light, or whatever, and I get out and start walking. I figure the extra 2 hours of sleep and less hanging around would be a net gain. If I get dropped off at 9 I'd have almost an hour to walk to the start.
Please share any experiences with this type of arrangement. Thank you!
Wave 1 and first Boston wrote:
I'm digging up this because there is NFW I want to get up at 5 to trudge into Boston to get on a 6am bus for a 10am start. I need an alternative.
How well does it work to get dropped off at I- 495, exit 21B, and walk to the start? It's about 1.3 miles vs. 0.7 miles from the athletes' village, so not much extra walking. My driver could get off 495, stop at the light, or whatever, and I get out and start walking. I figure the extra 2 hours of sleep and less hanging around would be a net gain. If I get dropped off at 9 I'd have almost an hour to walk to the start.
Please share any experiences with this type of arrangement. Thank you!
If you get dropped off at 9 I don't think you will make it to the start in time.
Who Dat? wrote:
If you get dropped off at 9 I don't think you will make it to the start in time.
Thanks. Do you think 8:30, or 8 would work? Also, does the plan sound like it would work?
Personally, I think you'll spend a lot of time on your feet getting dropped off at the highway. If I was going to get dropped off in Hopkinton I would go to the State Park and take the shuttle from there to the start.
If you try to get dropped off - plan to walk at least one mile in any direction toward the starting area/athlete's village. That's how large of a perimeter that gets set up. Use the Hopkinton buses and save your legs.
Parking in Boston - is not too bad if you can get it set up properly. It will be difficult to find any cheap off-street parking and the streets between Boylston and the Mass Pike are usually closed off as the runners exit area. Beacon STreet side is where to look - but that has a lot of resident parking only sections.