Boston Marathon Report: Hannah Boles

Hannah Boles recaps her weekend and her day at the Boston Marathon. Watch the video above, or read her report here:

Residence

Pfafftown

Age

29

Day job

Registered nurse; will begin new job with OrthoCarolina on April 25 (formerly with Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist)

Finishing time

3:23:24

How she qualified

Emerald Isle Marathon, 3:19, October 2021

Boston experience

First Boston Marathon

Marathon experience

Fifth marathon

How it went

"I didn't really know what to expect. I've heard the horror stories of Heartbreak Hill. It went well; my legs never felt fresh, to be honest.

"About Mile 7, I developed some pain in my feet; I could tell I was developing a blister. So I just had to battle through that through the whole race.

"But I saw my family and some friends along the course, so that went well. Made it up Heartbreak, and the last six miles were just grit. But turning onto Hereford and then onto Boylston was amazing.”

The challenging stretch

"I've never run a big race. So the crowd, having to navigate between runners, that was a little difficult. They did a great job with the aid stations and water. They were every mile, so I really liked that. I didn't feel like I was ever going to be without what I needed. I guess just the hills. Mile 17 was where I started really hurting. So just had to suck it up and keep going."

Moments that say 'Boston Marathon'

"I was just so excited about just being able to get into the race and was just honored to even be able to start. The crowd support was awesome. All the different towns. They each had something different, and the signs that people had made. The whole town just supports the runner, so that was awesome. I've never been a part of a race like that.”

Right on Hereford, left on Boylston

"I can't even describe it. It was just awesome. I tried to just take it in. I was ready to finish. It's like a half-mile long once you get onto Boylston. It's hard to describe. It's a tunnel of people cheering for you. And when you cross, all kinds of emotions come across: You're happy to be done because you're hurting, but you're also just really proud to have completed the Boston Marathon because you worked so hard to get here.”

How she's celebrating

"I think we're going to go out and get a burger and fries. I'm hungry."