A Promising Time for Running in Boston

On this, the eve of the 2015 Boston Marathon, I can’t help but reflect on the depth of resources available for runners in the Greater Boston Area. I spent my weekend at the American Medical Athletic Association Annual Sports Medicine Symposium at the Colonnade Hotel.  The conference is now in its 44th year as a beloved part of Marathon Weekend for runner healthcare providers participating in Monday’s race.  A celestial panel of speakers in the field of Sports Medicine presented on the best nutrition, strength training, and injury prevention techniques for runners, sharing invaluable clinical pearls with its geographically diverse audience. 

In general, it has been a stellar few weeks for those in Boston who love running.  Earlier this month, Boston Marathon Runbase, the collaboration between Adidas, the Boston Athletic Association, and the popular running store chain Marathon Sports, opened in Back Bay.  Described as a “unique, state-of-the-art hub for runners”, Runbase serves as a combination museum and running home base right smack in the middle of the city.  With this addition, the possibilities for strengthening the already vibrant local running community are numerous: group runs, seminars, informal gatherings and special events, to name a few. 

Further igniting the running spark in our city, last week USATF-NE president Tom Derderian issued a challenge to the Boston 2024 Organizing committee to build a permanent outdoor track and field stadium in the Greater Boston area.  Citing the world-class indoor facilities at the Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center as an example of a model facility, Derderian charged,

“If we can’t make a small stadium for a single sport, how can we build a large stadium and the other facilities for all Olympic sports? Show us that you all can really work together on a small thing first. This proof of concept would go a long way toward earning the trust of at least the track & field community and maybe the rest of Massachusetts.”

Such a facility, along with Boston Landing, the planned 250,000 square foot sports complex in Brighton, would truly make Boston a running mecca to rival storied West Coast running towns such as Eugene, Oregon.   

It’s a promising time for running in Boston, so see you out there on Marathon Monday!

World-class facilities such as the Reggie Lewis Center bring elite runners to the Boston area, inspiring those of us who love and follow the sport