Course and Weather

Though it is 2 weeks out, Accuweather has already changed its prediction twice...yesterday's prediction was for 51-65 and sunny, today is 41-47 and rainy.  An average of the two would be nice...40-50, cloudy with a tail wind = perfect!!

Mile-By-Mile Guide To The Boston Marathon « CBS Boston 

Mile 2 to Mile 3

If you ran the Boston Marathon between its inception in 1897 and 1923, Ashland is where you would have found the starting line.

Ashland, fittingly, starts out like a party. With any luck, your jitters are gone, you’ve found your rhythm and you’re enjoying the beginning of your long journey to Boston. On your left, the crowd at TJ’s Food and Spirits will keep the party rolling. Expect loud music and raucous support.

Again, some rolling hills through this mile on a stretch of two-lane blacktop with a guardrail and woods on much of one side, but a net descent.

The T station and Dunkin Donuts mark the third mile. (WBZ/Peg Rusconi)

Mile 3 to Mile 4

A couple of iconic Massachusetts logos accompany the third mile marker – Dunkin Donuts, and the circled “T” that marks the Ashland Commuter Rail station.

In this mile, rural gives way to commercial. If you need an ATM, a fast food fix, a national chain drugstore, you’ll run right past it here.

Midway through this mile, you’ll pass a course landmark – the clock tower at the intersection of Union and Chestnut Streets. Appropriate eye candy, as Ashland was home to Henry E. Warren, who invented the electric clock.

Speaking of time, remember to rein in your pace here and stick to your plan. Don’t fool yourself by running on “feel.” Everyone feels great here because it’s early, and they’re running downhill.

At the 4.8 mile mark, you enter Framingham (WBZ/Peg Rusconi)

Mile 4 to Mile 5

This mile takes you out of Ashland and into Framingham. It’s the first mile that actually GAINS elevation – 25 feet over the course of the mile.

A couple tenths of a mile past the Dairy Queen on Route 135, there’s a decent half-mile climb that takes you past a building supply store and a big storage facility.

At the 4.8 mile mark, you’ll enter Framingham: your third town of 8.

Mile 5 to Mile 6

Over the course of this mile, you’ll hit about three little rolling hills, dropping more than you climb. The scenery begins to feel more industrial. By now the pack of runners has spread out significantly and you should be able to run comfortably.

You’ll find the 6-mile marker at Bridge Street.

At the 6.2 mile mark, you will pass the Framingham Train Station. (WBZ/Peg Rusconi)

Mile 6 to Mile 7

You’ll wind downhill at the start of this mile.

A significant landmark at the 6.2 mile mark is the Framingham Train Station. A significant inconvenience in 1907 for all but the lead pack, when a train switched tracks, stopping runners in theirs.

You should be aware you’ll be crossing tracks here. Watch your step.

A restaurant on the right called the Chicken Bone marks the halfway point of this nice, flat mile.

As the course flattens out, resist the urge to run faster than you planned. Remember, the idea that you can “bank” minutes here for the second half of the race will bite you in the backside in the late miles. It’s what the experts say, and it’s what I’ve learned from experience.

Mile 7 takes you into Natick (WBZ/Peg Rusconi)

Mile 7 to Mile 8

Get ready to say goodbye to Framingham. At about the 7.3 mile mark, you’ll enter Natick.

You’ll pass a colorfully-signed taco joint on the right called the Aztec. You’ll take on a little climb that passes a Wendy’s restaurant on your left. Then you’ll pass the West Natick train station and hit the 8-mile mark.