Conference noted::bicycle

re  < Note 1093.0 by TFH::DONNELLY "Take my advice- Don't listen to me" >
>                      -< course map for boston marathon? >-

> being a running fan but a bike rider i want to ride the boston marathon 
> before next monday.  can anyone point me to course directions or a map?

> thanks,
> craig

> (also posted in running)


	This is easy

	START							FINISH

	Hopkinton	Go east 26 miles & 385 yards		BOSTON

	Reg

    The course starts in Hopkinton Center on Route 135.  It continues
    along 135 through Framingham, Natick, Wellesley (mile 13), toward
    Newton.
    
    At the intersection of 135 and route 30, turn right.  I believe
    this is Commonwealth Avenue (and the start of Heartbreak Hill).
    
    Continue along Comm Ave to the Boston College (?) Green Line T stop
    -- adjacent to Chestnut Hill Reservoir.  Turn right at Cleveland
    Circle and go 1 block to Beacon.  Follow Beacon in to Kenmore Square.
    Turn right on Comm Ave.  Go a few blocks to Hereford Street.  At
    the intersection of Hereford and Boylston turn left and continue
    to the finish line near the Prudential Center.
    
    This is the route to the best of my knowledge.  It is marked every
    mile in the center of the road with large yellow numerals.

re .1:  thanks, now i won't end up in california.

re .2:  thanks also, i was especially hoping they would have some official 
markers like mile markers along the route.

craig

The directions are slightly more involved than earlier notes indicated.

Take route 135 from Hopkinton through Ashland, Framingham, Natick as 
previously indicated.  In Wellesley center (after passing Wellesley college),
route 16 joins route 135 from the right (south).  They run together for a
few blocks before route 135 heads off to the right for Needham, Dedham.

I'm pretty sure that the Marathon course follows route 16 at
this intersection.  Just keep going straight instead of making
the right turn on 135.

I think the Marathon continues on route 16 all the way into Newton.
If so, you'd cross 128 near the Pillar House restaurant and the
Newton-Wellesley hospital.

    You should think about what you are going to do on the course.  You
    didn't really say.  Having done this once I'll tell you what I found
    out.  First of all, getting to Hopkinton, if you are thinking of that,
    is a bit involved.  They close all the roads in and out about 2 hours
    before the race (I can't remember exactly when).  I got there only
    about 30 minutes before the race, having decided late that I was going
    to try to go all the way in.  Now the locals told me some back ways
    when I asked but I never would have made it.  I also could have gone
    around the police and I doubt they would have shot me in the back but
    someone up the road might have been pissed off enough to do something.
    Even if you do get there you might be in trouble.  The wheelchairs
    start early, there are tons of people in the road, etc.
    
    As far as following the leaders, I don't have a lot of experience.  I
    can tell you that the police escorts start coming through a loooong
    time before the lead runners come through and you might have a
    motorcycle take you out if you try to stay close (not to mention
    getting the runners annoyed.  
    
    Where I was able to see everything in fine style was going up the hills
    after the turn onto Rt. 30.  Here there is a road which runs parallel
    to the course for the entire length of the hills.  You have to be
    careful because there are people and cars (and curbs in a couple of
    places!) but you can sit reasonably close by and watch the leaders for
    at about 3-4 miles.  After that, as you get closer to town, following
    is hard and dangerous (I ended up going up Comm. Ave the *wrong way*
    because I couldn't cross over to the side the runners were on.  After
    doing that for a while I decided that I was delerious and turned back).
    
    I did this a few years ago (it must have been 1987).  It was the year
    that the lead pack had 15 runners turning onto Rt. 30.  Basically I
    saw the entire race in the 3 miles, certainally all the tactics.  
    Seko took off, Smith and Jones tried to follow, gave up and Seko was
    gone.  
    
    Good luck!
    

i should have made it VERY CLEAR.  i'm not going to ride the course on 
monday, but on sunday, one day ahead.  i think the best way to see is to 
watch on it tv.  i just hope the copters are up for the transmitting link.  
the only problem with tv is one can't get the feel for the road.  so i 
figure one day ahead it will be fresh in my mind and there will be road 
markers and such.

it should be a fun ride since marathons by nature are not very hilly.

craig

    The Sunday Globe usually has a map of the course.
    
    ed

with maps copied from the library i taped together a map.  following the 
directions combined from previous notes i highlighted the route.  this is 
more fun than riding it probably.

only two minor questions remain (and they are minor).

the switch from rt30 to beacon through cleveland circle.  where do you turn 
right?  is it right on chestnut hill road, then one block to cleveland 
circle where you pick up beacon?

at the finish it stops at john hancock now.  do they cut turn right off 
boylston one block early, then left to approach the hancock tower on the 
north side?

am i being too picky?

why isn't there a blue line like new york?

craig

    Its a lot of fun to ride the course about 15 minutes before the
    wheelchair start... that way its all cleared off but you don't get
    in anybody's way.  By bike or foot is the only way to get near the
    start anyhow.  The first three of so miles should be 2:xx min per
    since you really get cruising downhill out of Hopkington and into
    Ashland.  I then return to Marlboro via Charles bikepath/Rt20. 
    _K