The 2025 Boston Marathon training runs are scheduled for these Saturdays: March 8, March 15, March 22 & March 30.
The Boston training runs are a very popular club activity, a great way to meet and get to know other club members. For the runners, this is a great chance to get on the course for your training and long runs. And for club members looking to get involved, we need volunteers!!
The runs are offered every Saturday in March (only 4 weeks this year though). Week 1 starts in Wellesley and is about 12ish miles (but you can add miles if you need to), Week 2 starts at Wellesley College (17ish miles). Weeks 3 and 4 start in Hopkinton (21ish miles). All runs turn around or end at the top of Heartbreak Hill. I will be sending out run plans each week before each run.
We meet as a group at Drum Hill, on the side of Hannaford Supermarket (66 Drum Hill), and in front of Dave’s Hot Chicken (40 Drum Hill). Times may be a little earlier this year, 7:30ish. Trying to push the start times up a few minutes. Please arrive early to check in and set up carpools.
If you plan to run or volunteer, you must sign up ahead of time – please do NOT just show up! See more below.
If you have any questions, you can send an email to bostontrainingruns@glrr.net.
Also, if you are feeling sick in ANY WAY, SHAPE or FORM, it is best for you to STAY HOME. We understand missing a training run or volunteer commitment can be difficult, but it’s best for all to stay healthy by you resting up and getting better.
Don’t forget about signing up for Boston Marathon Bus and Amenities on race day, Monday, April 21, 2025.
Below is a summary of where we first meet, the course details week-to-week, runners’ info and registration link, volunteers’ info and registration link, and then finally maps of the training runs and Boston Marathon route.
Where we meet:
The first week we run from Wellesley Community Center (directions – we park in the lot between the center and the church) near the 15-mile mark (of the course) to Boston College (at the top of Heart Break Hill which as at about the 21.5-mile mark) and then back to the start. The turnaround is at Mt Alvernia Rd. The total planned distance is about 12.5 miles, which you can adjust by adding distance (we recommend adding by going past the Community Center on the way back) or shorten by tuning around before BC. There is a course map below. We provide 2 water stops on this course at about 4 miles and 8.3 miles.
The second week we start from Wellesley College at about the 12-mile mark (of the course) and again run to Boston College and then back again. The planned distance of this run is 17-18 miles. Again, you can adjust by turning around before BC or adding on at the end. As for all the runs the turnaround is Mt Alvernia Rd. There is a course map below. We provide 4 water stops on this run at about 3.5, 7.5, 12 and 16 miles. As you might be aware, the start area for this run is pretty empty. We meet and park behind Ken’s Flower Cafe at 158 E Central – we park out back (note: we try not to use private business lots – they have enough headaches from the Boston Marathon).
On the third and fourth weeks we start in Hopkinton from the race starting line and run all or part of the way to Boston College, which is 21.5 miles away. Our volunteers set up waters stops at about every 4 miles. Volunteers monitor the course to make sure you are doing OK. You run as much or as little of the distance as you feel able to. We will have cars waiting for you in the area of Mt Alvernia Rd. Below is a course map of the entire Boston Course.
Runner’s
Please bring whatever you need for your run (except for water and gator-aide). Basically, this is your chance to practice your marathon. You want to bring whatever you need that is not offered on the Boston Course. You want to wear what you might on race day, although for the training I ask that you wear GLRR green or Baystate green, so we can keep tabs on you.
Try anything new on these runs (never try anything new on race day… NEVER). Try gels, or shot blocks, or whatever you may need.
Volunteers
We will need cars for water stops. I can set up pairs of volunteers, so people have some company to hang out with, unless you have a request for a friend to hang out with. If you can drive runners, please let me know how many runners you can take in your car. Each water stop will be fully supplied. Water, Gator-aide, cups, instructions, runner checklist, tissues, GLRR sign, etc…
Week 1, we need 3 sets of volunteers for water stops. This week runners can drive themselves, but we encourage carpooling to ease parking in Wellesley, so buddy up.
Weeks 2, we need 4 sets of volunteers for water stops. Again, we encourage carpooling.
Weeks 3 and 4, we need enough volunteers to drive all the runners (because these are point-to-point to runs), and we need 7 sets of volunteers for the waters stops.
WEEK 4 MIGHT HAVE SOME RESTRICTIONS SET BY THE B.A.A. More to come.
To register…
1) Click this link to see our SignUp on SignUp.com: https://signup.com/go/irOskXU
2) Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you like.
3) Sign up! It’s Easy – you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on SignUp.com.
Maps
Here are maps of the courses we are using: