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RaceMenu’s Guide to Marathon Weekend

Posted by on April 11, 2012

Check out our Guide to the Marathon Weekend-Part 2!

Whether you are running on Monday or not, we want to share with you our highlights of marathon weekend – the race expo, a movie, some talks, & our cheering section on race day! (Note: Free stuff at our tent!). We tried to cut through some of the noise and compile some events that we think you’ll enjoy.

THURSDAY – April 12th

 City Sports Ladies Night in Boston
Sponsored by Nike, the event will include a Q&A with 2-Time Boston Marathon Champion Joan Benoit Samuelson, exclusive shopping offers and a fresh smoothie bar. Be one of the first 100 attendees and receive a free gift bag.
When: 5:30-8:30PM
Where: City Sports Back Bay, 480 Boylston Street, Boston
Cost: Free! Must RSVP at link below.
Link: RSVP Here

 

FRIDAY, FRIDAY, GOTTA GET DOWN ON FRIDAY – April 13th

If you aren’t one of the few that suffer from Triskaidekaphobia, consider heading to the Expo on Friday. It is a lot easier to pick up your bib number, buy a jacket and scope out the whole scene by beating the rush on Saturday and Sunday. It’ll let you see where everything is & make a plan to head back to check out the presentations. But make sure you start off the weekend right – show up at the correct place for the expo, as it is NOT at the Hynes in Back Bay but rather the Seaport WTC this year. Finally, save your cab fare because the folks at Niketown are providing a free shuttle from their store at 200 Newbury St.

John Hancock Sports & Fitness Expo
When: 2-7PM Friday
Where: Seaport World Trade Center, Boston (NOTE – not at Hynes Convention Center on Boylston)
Cost: Free!
Links: Expo Information / Floor Plan

 

Meet Living Legends
Dick and Rick Hoyt will be completing their 30th Boston Marathon this year. They’ll be available for book signing, picture taking, and a meet & greet.
When: 2-6PM
Where: Marathon Expo, between booth 253 & 257 at the back
Cost: Free!
Link: http://www.teamhoyt.com/


SATURDAY, RUNNERS HAVE TAKEN OVER BOSTON – April 14th

The expo kicks into high gear on Saturday, but there are great events all over the town. We’ve got some highlights for you to consider.

John Hancock Sports & Fitness Expo
When: 8AM-7PM Saturday
Where: Seaport World Trade Center, Boston
Cost: Free!
Links: Expo Information / Floor Plan / Event Schedule

 

 

Outside Interactive Marathon World Record Attempt!
Michael Wardian will attempt to take back his world record for running a marathon on the treadmill. He ran 2:23:58 on December 11, 2004, but the current record is held by Eric Blake set in 2006. He’ll be running along to the Outside Interactive “Hopkinton to Boston 26.2 Mile” video and Virtual Runner software, which will show where he is along the course at his pace.

When: Noon
Where: Expo, Booth 210
Cost: Free!
Link: World Record Attempt at Boston

 

BAA CPR Program Training
Participation will require pre-registration and will be handled on a first come basis. CPR teaching sessions are expected to last roughly 20 minutes. Tell them which session you would like to attend, and how many people will be in your party.
When: Saturday schedule – 9:30AM, 11AM, 1PM, 2:30PM
Where: Expo
Cost: Free! but need to reserve spots via email – cpr@baa.org
Link: CPR Course

 

Meet Living Legends
Dick and Rick Hoyt will be completing their 30th Boston Marathon this year. They’ll be available for book signing, picture taking, and a meet & greet.
When: 10AM-1PM
Where: Marathon Expo, between booth 253 & 257 at the back
Cost: Free!
Link: http://www.teamhoyt.com/

 

‘THE ATHLETE’ Movie at the Museum of Fine Arts
Get away from the expo crowds and catch the movie ‘The Athlete’ about Abebe Bikila (yes, the Vibrams are named after him), who was the first black African to win Olympic gold – and did so running the marathon barefoot.
When: 12:40PM – 2:10PM
Where: MFA – Alfond Auditorium, G36, 465 Huntington Ave
Cost: $9 members, $11 non-members, tickets at link.
Link: Get Your Movie Ticket

 

Ultramarathoner Bruce Fordyce at Community Rowing
Ultramarathoner Bruce Fordyce is giving a talk on Saturday at Community Rowing. Bruce is the 9-time winner of the Comrades Marathon, which is actually an ultramarathon of approximately 90 kilometers (56 miles) in South Africa. Bruce will speak about being a high performance athlete and how his life was impacted in a very powerful way. $5 donation will support Community Rowing’s G-Row Boston program, which is an official charity of the 2012 Boston Marathon.
When: 2PM
Where: Community Rowing, 20 Nonantum Rd, Brighton
Cost: $5, Reserve your seat by RSVPing at the link; pay at the door.
Link: RSVP Here


SUNDAY ONE DAY TO GO SUNDAY! – April 15th

Photo by Scott Mason

BAA 5K & Invitational Mile
When: 8AM & 9:30AM Sunday
Where: Back Bay, Boston
Cost: Free!

Come cheer on local favorite Nate Jenkins and other Team RaceMenu runners as they compete in the BAA 5K, starting at 8am in Copley Square. After that, we’ll grab some coffee and donuts and have a seat along Newbury Street to watch the Invitational Mile.

 


John Hancock Sports & Fitness Expo
When: 9AM-6PM Saturday
Where: Seaport World Trade Center, Boston
Cost: Free!
Links: Expo Information / Floor Plan / Event Schedule

 


Yes You Can! Inspiration with Team Hoyt 

Dick & Rick Hoyt are hosting a presentation at 11AM in the Waterfront Ballroom; from 12-4PM they’ll be at the back of the expo (booths 253/257) for book signing / picture taking / meet & greet!
When: 11AM; 12-4PM
Where: Marathon Expo, between booth 253 & 257 at the back
Cost: Free!
Link: http://www.teamhoyt.com/


Outside Interactive Marathon World Record Attempt!
Kim Duclos will be running along to the Outside Interactive “Hopkinton to Boston 26.2 Mile” video and Virtual Runner software, which will show where she is along the course at her pace. There is no women’s best time on record, so she’ll be looking to set the initial mark. Her best marathon time is 2:38:21 in 2009.
When: Noon
Where: Expo, Booth 210
Cost: Free!
Link: World Record Attempt at Boston

 

BAA CPR Program Training
Participation will require pre-registration and will be handled on a first come basis. CPR teaching sessions are expected to last roughly 20 minutes. Tell them which session you would like to attend, and how many people will be in your party.
When: Sunday schedule – 9:30AM., 11AM, 1PM, 2:30PM
Where: Expo
Cost: Free! but need to reserve spots via email – cpr@baa.org
Link: CPR Course

 

Stretch and Prepare: Yoga for your Best Marathon
Lululemon presents Boston yogi and runner, Rebecca Pacheco of omgal. “Cheeks” will teach a yoga class geared to runners as part of Runner’s Seminar Series at the expo. Stop by to loosen up and relax before the big day.
When: 5:00PM
Where: Expo, Waterfront Ballroom
Cost: Free!
Link: Runner’s Seminar Series

 

MONDAY, PATRIOTS’ DAY, RACE DAY, LET’S DO THIS! – April 16th


Where to watch

Join us to motivate runners up Heartbreak Hill; RaceMenu will be setting up shop to ease broken hearts on the way up the most popular hill in running. Look for the orange RaceMenu tent, or just listen to the sound of hundreds of orange vuvuzelas blowing sweet nothings in your ear. Heads-up Wellesley, we want Heartbreak Hill to be the loudest cheering section out there on Monday!
Where: Heartbreak Hill, between mile 20 and 21
When: We’ll set up around 9AM
Cost: Free! In fact we’ll give YOU stuff for coming.

If you can’t join us, check out BAA’s Spectator Guide.

 

Free Massages at Niketown
Niketown has your back all weekend with their free shuttle from the store to the expo, and then they’ll rub your back for free on Monday and Tuesday. Stop by for a complimentary massage and medal engraving.
Normal Store hours: M-Sat 10AM-8PM, Sun 12PM-6PM
Where: Niketown, 200 Newbury St
Cost: Free!
Link: Niketown Boston Facebook Page & Twitter

 

Help RaceMenu advance in MassChallenge!
We’ve entered the MassChallenge $1 million startup competition and need your votes to help us advance to the next round.  If this guide is helpful or you just want to help a crew of fun athletes build a great company right here in Boston, we’d really appreciate a moment of your time to give us a 5-star rating over here.

Check out our Guide to the Marathon Weekend-Part 2!