On Monday, Newport & District Running Club’s Jonathan Pierce took part in the Boston Marathon in Massachusets, USA, one of the world’s “Major” marathons, and one of the hardest races to obtain a place in! Upon returning back across the Atlantic, Jonathan was kind enough to send us this report of his amazing achievement!

Boston isn’t just another marathon. You have to qualify, you have to earn it. And that makes every medal feel even more special. I am so happy I made it to Boston for my 4th Major. I was not sure how it was going to go, as I had no proper training over winter due to a bad injury. I had plantar fasciitis in my right foot – even walking was a struggle. I managed to do a few runs this month with recovery days for injury. 

On marathon day, it was an early start, with everyone meeting at Boston Park for the hour-long journey to Hopkinton by school bus. I think they used every single bus in the state! The Athlete’s Village drop off was the last chance for toilet and prep before going into corrals to start. It was freezing and there was a strong wind. 

The marathon route had everything; lots of hills including the infamous “Heartbreak Hill”, and some leg-crushing downhill sections. The route wound its way through small towns with great support, in fact the crowds were amazing. I completed the marathon in 3 hours, 58 minutes, 14 seconds, and was very happy with my time, considering the lack of training and injury. Running the Boston Marathon fulfilled my running dream and it was everything I hoped it would be!