Just before noon on Monday, April 20, 1998, as thousands of runners milled around in the cool temperatures with helicopters hovering overhead, the talk was all about the hard part being behind us. The task ahead was going to be easy compared to the hundreds of miles each of us has run through the winter months to prepare ourselves for this - the Boston Marathon.

As the gun sounded at noon, the town of Hopkinton erupted. The noise of the crowd and runners was deafening. When we shuffled across the start-line, the computer chip in each runner's shoe lace recorded his individual net time which was verified every five kilometers. The crowds along the route were absolutely amazing - calling out names and numbers, handing out drinks and fruit, high-fiving everyone along the edge of the road. Buoyed by the encouragement from the spectators, we reached the hills at Newton in pretty good shape. Even Heartbreak Hill, where my wife was stationed, patiently waiting since 10:00am, didn't prove to be too arduous. As we wound our way through the outskirts of Boston, past Fenway Park, the crowds thickened and were even noisier than the towns we had run through earlier.

Finally, the John Hancock Tower was in full view signalling the end of our journey with the thousands of supporters cheering us on over the last mile and across the finish line well ahead of our anticipated finishing time.

One particular scene I'll never forget was the thousands of runners (now walkers - some even hobbling), clad in thermal blankets receiving their medals and making their way to the family reunion area. Other vivid memories include the 8,000 people at the Ronzoni Pasta Party on the Sunday night, and the hundreds of volunteers in their bright green jackets who went out of their way to make sure everything went well. The friendliness of the people, the Boston police, and the race officials were really incredible.

With experience in helping the Scarborough Masters Athletic Club host their annual 5K run, I can appreciate all the hard work, preparation and organization it must take to put on such an event. Thanks Boston for helping me realize a long-term dream, and for the memories I carry with me.
 

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