So I’m in Wave 2 Corral 1 and am going to be sitting in Hopkinton from about 8 until we head to the starting line at 945 for our 1025 start. Aside from the obvious, like throw away clothes, a bottle of water, something to eat, and something to sit on in case the ground is wet, what else do I really need? Other websites and blog sites have me overpacking and I really don’t want to do that, plus we only get a gallon size ziploc bag anyway.
Only thing you really need is an extra large garbage bag and an empty bottle to use as a portable porta potty. Plenty of food water Gatorade available. If it’s a sunny day there’ll be sunscreen around.
Ok thanks, but just want to confirm that peeing in a bottle in that area is like, generally accepted. I know some races like Philly and NYC were pretty adamant about kicking people out for not using the actual porta potties.
Wait for ever wrote:
Ok thanks, but just want to confirm that peeing in a bottle in that area is like, generally accepted. I know some races like Philly and NYC were pretty adamant about kicking people out for not using the actual porta potties.
This year in NYC I pee’d over the side of the highway in the start corral...they don’t care at all.
They definitely don’t care about the trash bag method. Last year on the way out of the athletes village there were dozens of people pissing behind the dumpsters at the high school. And that was pretty much out in the open. There were several baa volunteers around and nobody said a thing.
I have used the trash bag and wide mouth Gatorade bottle trick at several races without any problems.
I may see you there. I too am in wave 2 corral 1. 2017 was my first year at Boston. There were various chews, bars, water, Gatoraid, bananas, and other items available to runners at the village. If taking BAA buses the ride is about an hour long. So you may only want to take food with you that you want to consume before you arrive at the runner village/middle school. I arrived early at the village and was probably on one of the first 20 buses to drop off runners. I was in the first wave last year. I got in line for the portable toilets about every 20 to 30 minutes regardless of whether or not I felt I had to go as the lines got 2 to 4 times longer each time. When I arrived they may have been some unoccupied toilets. But within say 15 to 20 minutes the line was maybe 5 to 10 runners deep and much longer each time I went. By the time it was close for the first wave to be called to assemble in the parking lot at the village/middle school I may have gotten back in line very shortly after exiting one. Some runners urinated along what may have been a fence in the parking lot with some shrubs are trees but I don't think that was necessary. There are portable tolets in the parking lot at the CVS just before the starting line corrals one may use. I would use these toilets or a wide mouth bottle in that parking lot as the last oportunity before the start. There were about 10 runners near me who urinated along the course not far from the start where there were fewer bystanders.
The first collection of clothing is in the parking lot at the middle school. If one thinks they may want to hold onto clothing longer to stay warm or dry then they have plenty of oportunities to get rid of it all along the long walk from the middle schoool one's corral. There are volunteers with large bags all along the walk collecting clothing and trash.
I found it easy to urinate in a large mouth Gatorade bottle near the corrals at Chicago by putting the bottle down my roomy sweat pants. I did not take a garbage bag to either race last year but plan to this year.
The first aid station is not far from the parking lot stagging area at Boston. It had sun screen for runners. I also saw a dispensor or two in the parking lot or just past it on the walk to the corrals. I think Band-Aids were also available at the first aid station for those who needed them for their nipples or other areas.
Don't forget to show your bid to the volunteers when you enter the parking lot of the middle school for the walk to the corrals and when you enter your corral if you have clothing that is covering it.
1st Time Boston & Chicago in 2017 wrote:
The first collection of clothing is in the parking lot at the middle school. If one thinks they may want to hold onto clothing longer to stay warm or dry then they have plenty of oportunities to get rid of it all along the long walk from the middle schoool one's corral. There are volunteers with large bags all along the walk collecting clothing and trash.
I found it easy to urinate in a large mouth Gatorade bottle near the corrals at Chicago by putting the bottle down my roomy sweat pants. I did not take a garbage bag to either race last year but plan to this year.
So the street is littered with piss bottles when the race starts?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0u6Lb6RCz4Not to totally derail the direction of the thread... but does anyone know of a good spot to warm up at the start? Would be nice to get in a quick 15 minutes and a few pick ups just to loosen up a bit.
It is not a big deal. They have bananas, bagels and water at the pre-race staging areas and plenty of toilets.
Relax. Bring a mylar blanket or two. After u arrive find a quiet spot and sleep until it is time to go to the corrals.
If it is raining then bring a large garbage bag to wear to keep ur self dry until the start.
You will be fine and you will well run well.
Relax and enjoy the race.
Bon chance.
There’s a quiet parking lot behind the school that’s pretty clear of people. If you don’t mind turning around every 200-300 yds you’ll be able to get ten minutes and some strides done there no problem
A good book. 2 hours never passes so slowly as when waiting for coral at Boston or NYC
OlldPolarBear wrote:
A good book. 2 hours never passes so slowly as when waiting for coral at Boston or NYC
Coupla doobies and your mini iPad .
RunMedic wrote:
Not to totally derail the direction of the thread... but does anyone know of a good spot to warm up at the start? Would be nice to get in a quick 15 minutes and a few pick ups just to loosen up a bit.
It's about a 15 minute walk from the school exit gate to the start. Just jog that, use the porta johns on left, run your striders. Can't imagine anyone warming up more than that. First mile in traffic you'll be about 20 seconds slower than goal pace, that's plenty warmup, seems to me.
Flounder wrote:
It is not a big deal. They have bananas, bagels and water at the pre-race staging areas and plenty of toilets.
Relax. Bring a mylar blanket or two. After u arrive find a quiet spot and sleep until it is time to go to the corrals.
If it is raining then bring a large garbage bag to wear to keep ur self dry until the start.
You will be fine and you will well run well.
Relax and enjoy the race.
Bon chance.
bonne chance
RunMedic wrote:
Not to totally derail the direction of the thread... but does anyone know of a good spot to warm up at the start? Would be nice to get in a quick 15 minutes and a few pick ups just to loosen up a bit.
Could you park in Milford and run in? It's 2 miles. Would that work?
McFrenchie wrote:
Flounder wrote:
It is not a big deal. They have bananas, bagels and water at the pre-race staging areas and plenty of toilets.
Relax. Bring a mylar blanket or two. After u arrive find a quiet spot and sleep until it is time to go to the corrals.
If it is raining then bring a large garbage bag to wear to keep ur self dry until the start.
You will be fine and you will well run well.
Relax and enjoy the race.
Bon chance.
bonne chance
Grassias
Way of the road wrote:
1st Time Boston & Chicago in 2017 wrote:
The first collection of clothing is in the parking lot at the middle school. If one thinks they may want to hold onto clothing longer to stay warm or dry then they have plenty of oportunities to get rid of it all along the long walk from the middle schoool one's corral. There are volunteers with large bags all along the walk collecting clothing and trash.
I found it easy to urinate in a large mouth Gatorade bottle near the corrals at Chicago by putting the bottle down my roomy sweat pants. I did not take a garbage bag to either race last year but plan to this year.
So the street is littered with piss bottles when the race starts?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0u6Lb6RCz4
I did not take a bottle with me at Boston in 2017--I only used the portable toilets. At Chicago I emptied a bottle in a concrete planter box and discarded the empty bottle with other trash. BTW, the smell of the sewers at numerous locations at Chicago while in the race were more objectionable than anything else to me I saw or or smelled first hand at either Chicago or Boston.
Is smelling sewers a hobby of yours, or is the urge just during marathons?
Flounder wrote:
It is not a big deal. They have bananas, bagels and water at the pre-race staging areas and plenty of toilets.
Relax. Bring a mylar blanket or two. After u arrive find a quiet spot and sleep until it is time to go to the corrals.
If it is raining then bring a large garbage bag to wear to keep ur self dry until the start.
You will be fine and you will well run well.
Relax and enjoy the race.
Bon chance.
Good advice. I will add that there was one large tent that I and other runners took cover under in 2017. One problem in 2017 is that it was too cold for me to lay on the grass without something under me. Some used cardboard from empty banana boxes to lay on. The toilets are lined up next to one another along the entire back length of the middle school. The time in line for me the last time I used them before the first wave was staged in the parking lot was about 20 minutes. The wait at the toilet for me just before the corrals was about 10 minutes. This year I may jog the distance from the middle school to the toilets near the corrals so I may get there before the lines get long and because I am in corral 1 rather than corral 8.