The world's oldest marathon, Boston, Massachusetts. Known for: uphills, unpredictable weather, downhills, tough qualifying standards, rowdy crowd support and more. Amongst its quirks, Boston is held on the third Monday of April each year to coincide with Patriot's Day, a holiday only celebrated by six US states.
Boston is a unique city in the USA in that it has a very 'European' feel to the streets. The race is similarly iconic, extremely historic and humbling in equal measure. The city truly comes alive for Marathon Monday.
Ran a Boston Qualifier or got a spot? In no particular order here's a few of our favourite places to hit and things to do to make the most of your time in New England.
Look, before you say anything, we know that pasta is a cliche. But it just works. Table, up by the TD Garden (Home of the Boston Celtics), turns out Italian classics. Don't baulk at the $135 Prix-fixe 7-course – a marathon in itself – and instead opt for their a la carte options to suit. The warm wood interior is filled with plants and has plenty of space for large groups. Book ahead!
Lucy Ethiopian Café is an unassuming looking place, but as far as value to taste to nutrition, it goes a long way. Warm Njera served with classic Ethiopian dishes of stewed lentils, veg and more make for a great lunch for hungry runners.
Down in South End, Beehive puts on a full program of live music alongside brunch, lunch and dinner. Jazz, Blues, Soul, Latin, Carribean, need we keep going? The menu is equally eclectic. Grab a table on Saturday morning after a jog for brunch and a live show to unwind and decompress before race day in this roomy space.
For coffee, if you find yourself north of the river in Cambridge head to Circus Co-op, a worker-owned café that partners with other local businesses to source baked goods and produce. We like community-focused. We like caffeine. This is community-focused caffeine.
Sorry but we'd be amiss if we didn't at least suggest that you stop into a classic dive bar whilst in Beantown. Most of them are old Irish institutions, built for the large population of Gaelic immigrants that moved to Boston over the centuries. Don't expect anything fancy, but you will get surly bartenders, a rowdy buzz and drinks aplenty making for an ideal way to celebrate and share your race tales. With pool tables and cheap brews, Croke Park in South Boston was voted one of the top bars in the USA in 2016, or drop into The Sevens Ale House after exploring the beautiful narrow streets of Beacon Hill.
Lolita Back Bay is a tequila and cocktail bar that serves up Mexican fare under moody lighting in a sleek gothic-inspired space. Definitely a post-race treat to wind down with interesting mixological (is that a word?) concoctions and a unique twist on the food of Mexico in an interesting setting.
Bonus: The Paul Revere Classic returns for it's third year in a row. The makeshift, unsanctioned 26.2 mile relay tackles the race course the night before the official Marathon start, before the course has been fully closed. Hair-raising stuff for those involved; catch the race conclusion at the marathon finish-line or keep an eye out here if you want in.
Good luck if you're running.
- Runlimited
Images by respective businesses.
