My Journey to Qualify for the Boston Marathon

Posting weekly updates of my marathon training

Hey runners! Are you planning on running the Boston Marathon? Whether you have already qualified or need to run a qualifier this year as I do, this might interest you.

I'm about to start training for a Boston Qualifier Marathon so I can run the Boston Marathon in 2026. I have a local marathon scheduled for May 17th. That gives me approximately 18 weeks to prepare.

Weekly Training Updates:

I’ve decided to share my weekly training progress for this marathon on YouTube and this newsletter. If you're also aiming to use a marathon this year to qualify, consider following along.

Each week, I'll discuss my targets and how they connect to what I call my “Forever Runner Method”. This method incorporates low heart rate training, which I believe is particularly beneficial for us older runners. To qualify for the Boston Marathon at the age of 71, I need to run under a 4:20 marathon. However, I'll be aiming for around four hours to give myself a buffer.

Training Approach:

Here’s my approach to marathon training. I'm not a high mileage, high frequency runner. Typically, I run three to five times a week, about 30 miles weekly, with the possibility of increasing as the weeks progress. I don’t follow a strict marathon training plan. I prefer a flexible training schedule, adapting based on how I feel and my circumstances. I’ll be doing mostly low heart rate running(Zone 2) during the week with some tempo runs. On Saturdays, I’ll be doing my long runs with our local running club training group.

Week 18 Recap:

This week marks week 18 of my Boston qualifier training. It began with a 10K race last Saturday. Although I consider myself an ultra runner and typically don't focus on 5Ks or 10Ks, last month, I thought about training for this 10K to see how fast I could go.

However, training during the holidays didn't pan out, so I ran the race without any specific training, maintaining a pace similar to last year's result, about nine-minute miles.(my marathon pace!) Though a tad disappointing, I have plenty of time to throw in some speed work to get my pace up for shorter distances.

Unexpected Setback:

On Sunday, after watching the morning news, I stood up on a numb foot, rolled my ankle, leading to a sprain. Have you ever experienced that?

I had energy-filled plans for skiing, running, and playing pickleball this week, but had to put everything on hold. Although this is a stumbling block, it's not disastrous. I’ll be back running by the weekend.

Moving Forward:

This coming Saturday, I will officially commence my training by joining my local running club's marathon training group long run, geared explicitly towards the May 17th Capitol City Marathon.

Stay tuned for next week's post, where I'll delve into how this training group operates and outline my training strategy for the subsequent weeks.

Thanks for reading! Remember to subscribe and follow along as I embark on this journey to qualify for the Boston Marathon.