Only a few days left until the 4th annual 2019 Queens Marathon, the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) New York State Marathon Championship! This past weekend before the Queens Marathon was an exciting prelude to what is to come. Yes! We are talking about the Boston Marathon! Queens Distance went to mile 20 of the Boston Marathon to cheer on all the runners and especially our 13 beloved teammates.
The 123rd Boston Marathon was the last race of a long weekend held on Monday, April 15th Patriot’s Day. Before we go any further, we’d like to congratulate all our other teammates who also raced this past weekend.
Saturday, April 13th
B.A.A 5K, Boston
NYCRuns Queens Half & 5K
Helderberg to Hudson Half Marathon
Lake Sanoma 50 Miler, California
Sunday, April 14th
SHAPE Women’s Half Marathon
Paris Marathon, France
JFK Runway 5K
Spartan Race, Citi Field
Atlantic City Half Marathon, New Jersey
Belgrade Half Marathon, Serbia
Brookhaven 15K
Riverside Dash 15K, Sandford, Florida
Boston Marathon
Just a few years ago in 2016, Maria Wong and a handful of teammates ran the Boston Marathon. Edwin and Kevin went that weekend and biked from the halfway point until the finish line, cheering wherever possible. This year, 13 Queens Distance teammates trained through another frigid winter for this prestigious race. This is by far, the most stacked field Queens Distance has ever presented for the Boston Marathon.
This is the second of the World Marathon Majors races held each year and this race is very special place in the running community. This is a tough race to qualify for as many of us who try to “BQ” know. It is a goal many marathon runners seek and that many do not get. But that, in itself, is what makes chasing this unicorn special. Having this goal in mind, working towards it, perhaps failing, and eventually earning it makes toeing the starting line of the Boston Marathon a great achievement.
This marathon starts in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, an otherwise quiet New England town that becomes the epicenter for corralling thousands of remarkable runners all the way to the finish line in Boston. Just like last year, Queens Distance went to Newton and to the infamous Heartbreak Hill to cheer on runners as they prepare to tackle the last 10k of the race. Special thanks to Albert Tan of Horse and Duck Photo who came for the day to take amazing shots.
Go to Horse and Duck Photo’s site for more race day photos!
It goes without saying but the weather is part of the race. Last year, runners ran through heavy rain and cold weather. This year, it was pouring in the early morning and around the start time the sun came out, and with that the humidity steadily increased. Still, the runners prevailed.
Here are the 13 Boston Marathoners who represented Queens Distance!
Women’s Team
Jona Molla
Caroline Nester
Irena Ocasio
Rinchen Pelden
Kaitlyn Richert
Deki Yangzom
Men’s Team
Anibal Chehayeb
Jeremiah Estes
Derek Hanson
Winston Mei
Eric Morris
Danny Rivera
Pablo Yax
Until next year! And remember, right on Hereford, left on Boylston!
Queens Distance