Boston Marathon 2025

We all know the Boston Marathon, latest since the attack in 2013. Two films that deal with the events are Patriots Day and American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing. But beyond that, the Boston Marathon is also the world’s oldest annually held marathon.

Ever since I moved to Boston, I’ve been thinking about how I could participate in the marathon myself. Last year, I went downtown to watch the runners cross the finish line, but it still felt like something was missing. At the same time, I also need to be realistic: balancing a master’s degree with training for a marathon is probably a bit unrealistic — if not impossible.

Therefore, I was very excited when I found out that there is a 5K run during the marathon weekend. And that’s exactly what I signed up for at the end of January. But you have to be quick when registering, because there are “only” 10,000 spots, and they sell out very fast. Alternatively, you can register for what’s called the Distance Medley, which includes a 5K run, a 10K run, and a half marathon (spread throughout the year, not all on the same day). Participants in the Distance Medley can register earlier, which reduces the number of spots available in the regular 10,000-participant pool.

This year, the course was changed so that the 5K – just like the marathon – ends at Boston’s famous finish line. A dream come true!

The run started at 8 a.m. Anyone who wanted to check in bags had to go to the so-called Gear Check beforehand, which was about half a mile from the start line. Runners were grouped according to their expected pace, with each wave starting one after another. The first group included wheelchair and elite runners (Wave 1), followed by everyone else. The first group gathered around 7:30 a.m., the second around 7:45 a.m. The official start was at 8 a.m. Of course, I arrived way too early, especially since I didn’t have anything to check in. So I ended up waiting for the start. In retorospective I could’ve arrived a bit later. I crossed the start line around 8:10 a.m.

Despite the early hour, the atmosphere in Boston was incredible – cheerful, energetic, and motivating, which made running so much easier. I hadn’t trained much: in the four weeks leading up to the race, I only ran once a week on the university track – that’s it. So I was genuinely surprised to be faster on race day than during those training runs. The participants were a colorful mix, as is often the case at these kinds of events – ranging from very fast runners to those in costumes and others who just wanted to enjoy the run. As a result, you sometimes had to dodge or make room for others along the course.

After crossing the iconic Boston finish line, you definitely should take a picture – after all, how often does something like that happen? Then you make your way back toward Boston Common, collecting your medal, snacks, and official race T-shirt along the way. There’s also another water station.

All in all, I’m really happy I decided to sign up for the 5K. It was an unforgettable experience!