Editor's note: The writer is a 60-year-old Lake Worth Beach resident who flies his own airplane and ran the Tokyo Marathon before heading to Boston for this week's race.BOSTON — On race morning of the Boston Marathon, the quiet town of Hopkinton, Massachusetts was transformed into the epicenter of the running world.Over 30,000 runners from every corner of the earth converged on the Athletes' Village, turning this tiny town into a sea of neon jerseys and nervous energy for its 130th running.The air was thick with anticipation. Most of us have worked for years to make it to this point. The cool bite of the Massachusetts spring, our school bus ride to the start, the long lines for the porta potty added to the anticipation.The music over the PA was interrupted by the announcement that it was my time to head to the start.
The excitement at this moment was palpable and mirrored the racing pulses of the crowd.The excitement reached its peak at the starting line, where the iconic blue and yellow paint marked the beginning of the 26.2-mile pilgrimage through Greater Boston. Under the gaze of the "It All Starts Here" sign, the starter’s gun triggered an immediate, adrenaline-fueled plunge.Runners were catapulted down a dramatic 200-foot drop in the first half-mile, a steep downhill rush flanked by cheering locals who pushed us out of the village and toward the distant Boston skyline.The Palm Beach Roadrunners, my partners in training for the last two years, brought 21 members to Beantown.The Hopkinton roar feels a world away from where it all began: 16 weeks ago, whether standing on the humid, pitch-black asphalt of either Bradley Park or the Dunkin Donuts on Donald Ross Road at 6:30 a.m.
While the rest of the world slept, we were out there chasing headlamps. This wasn’t the crisp New England air but a thick blanket of tropical heat that made every mile feel earned.The cycle started "easy" at 25 miles a week, but soon the mileage grew like weeds in my Lake Worth Beach garden, peaking at grueling stretches of more than 60 miles.My life became a repetitive blur of 4 a.m. alarms, sweat-soaked singlets, and the relentless pounding of the Lake Trail, of crossing the Lake Worth Bridge, running past the under-renovation Gulfstream Hotel. All to build the grit I’d need for a finish line I couldn't yet see.Earning a bib for Boston is a ruthless numbers game.
Meeting the qualifying time for my age (60) and gender only qualifies me to register for the big event. Because the field is capped, the B.A.A. ranks every applicant by how much they "beat the clock," meaning my official qualifying time must be significantly faster than the baseline just to survive the cut-off.For the 2026 race, the standards were tightened by a grueling five minutes across the board, forcing me to chase a mark that was more ambitious than I had imagined. Even after I hit my mark, the anxiety didn't end until the "cut-off" time was announced.
In recent years, thousands of runners who technically qualified were still rejected because they didn't have a large enough "buffer" (sometimes six minutes faster than their required time).It’s a system that demands you don't just run fast, but that you outrun the collective speed of the entire global field. It makes that final acceptance email feel like winning the lottery or an Olympic medal.Dave Masterson ran his 7th Boston MarathonDave Masterson, president of the Palm Beach Roadrunners who lives in Palm Beach Gardens, ran his seventh Boston Marathon. He has completed over 70 marathons and wrote a book being released this summer: "Marathon 101."“I enjoy the sport because it brings together the things I value highly,” Masterson said.
“Those being friendship, fitness, travel, laughter and personal accomplishments. It’s a most fulfilling lifestyle to chase!”.Masterson ran a time of 3:20:51 - 123rd in his age group of males 60-to-64.Hannah Anderson, is a hairdresser and mother of three. The Lake Worth Beach resident started running with “PBRR” in 2020 after her first marathon.
To date, she has run eight marathons and two ultramarathons (50 milers). “Running has been my therapy since I was 13,” Anderson explained. “It’s a great way to clear my head and, at times, just escape from the daily chaos of life.
Along with karate, it’s my main form of exercise. It sets an example for my children that it’s important to care for yourself, and no matter what stage in life we are at, we can continue to chase and accomplish goals.”Hannah posted a 3:24:34 in Boston -289th in her age group.Kevin Lanning, who lives in Jupiter, is a professor of Psychology and Data Science at Florida Atlantic University and he shows no sign of slowing down at 69. “I began running after the pandemic and joined the Palm Beach Road Runners in 2022,” Lanning recalled. “At one level, I run because running evokes changes in brain chemistry that bathe me in positive feelings ranging from satisfaction to ecstasy, all accompanied by a sense of gratitude