Jon had a great idea to make a sign that said "You Ken Do It" and then he took Ken's practice pace times (6:30) and drove the route so we could figure out at what points we would be able to see him. We ended up with three viewing spots: around the mile 4-mark in Ashland (right across the street from Regan's vet), around the 8-mile mark in Natick (right across from where Jon used to live), and around the 25-mile mark in Kenmore Square.
We arrived at the Ashland viewing spot around 9:30, in time to see the elite women go by. They were crazy fast. The first few groups (mobility impaired, elite women, and elite men/wave men) had trucks ahead of them that displayed the running time for those groups. There were also open vehicles of police officers (the officers were sitting on the edge of the open van doors) that were between the groups. But what really was crazy was all the cups that were strewn about after the men went by! One of the EMT guys positioned by the ambulance behind us told us we had to pick them up before Wave 2 went by and I believed him! One of the runners stopped by us and gave Jon his iPhone so he could take a photo of him on the course!
Around 10 to 11 I started checking my iPhone to see if Ken's 5K split time had been logged into the BAA website. About 10 after 11, a few minutes after I saw the 5K split, I heard Jon yell something like, "There he is!" And I looked up and he blew by, faster than I could get my camera up and focused! (I did get some shots of his back!)
We then started booking it for the car so we could head to our next destination; we arrived about 5-10 minutes ahead of Ken and got a chance to see "Elmo" again and a guy who posed with a waving Canadian flag that one of the spectators had.
Our 10K text alert came in and this time I was ready when Ken came down the hill, looking strong!
We then went to our last viewing spot. We parked and took the T to Kenmore. We were able to find a spot in the shade, under a bridge. My iPhone started to lose juice and then I couldn't get Safari to load so the last update we had on Ken was a text from Ken's wife Danielle. So it was a wonderful surprise to see him coming near us. Again, Jon was my spotter!
We then walked to the Team Red Cross after party where we could congratulate Ken on his finish. At just under 4 hours, it was a remarkable feat, particularly given the 80+ degree heat! Go Ken! We love you and are so proud of you! -- POSTED BY COLLEEN
There is always so much excitement on marathon day in this area. Each year that I've been lucky enough to see some of the marathon runners go by, you get an incredible feeling of inspiration. You want to go out and run too. This year, that excitement was ramped up even further. Knowing that my brother was running and knowing how much it would mean to him to complete this adventure, I wanted so deeply for him to succeed. The mix of emotions was hard to describe. The dreamer in me saw the day playing out like a movie with the fairy-tale ending of a hero completing a goal. The realist in me wondered about just how hot it would get and whether the unusual April heat might tarnish all of Ken's plans. As we set off for our first viewing spot at mile 4, I put the realist in me in the back of my mind and tried to keep him there.
When the first wave came through, I quickly realized how hard it might be to see Ken. The crowd of runners was massive, filling the street and seemingly never ending. Given that we would have little time to get from this viewpoint to the next at mile eight - and still see Ken, missing him go by us at mile four would have been a devastating blow - that would have also likely meant we would miss him at mile eight. With that in the back of my mind, I remembered that I told Ken to be on the right-hand side of the road once he saw the Ashland Dairy Queen and to look for the sign I created. I raised that sign high even when my arms got tired. I made friends with another runner named Ken who enjoyed my sign thoroughly, as I imagine hundreds of other runners named Ken did as well. It turns out, our decision to make that sign was what helped Ken see us. I don't know what he felt when he saw it, but I'd like to imagine it was like a beacon - and I hope it brought a smile to his face through the physical pain of such a long run. It was a symbol of our love for him. Thankfully we saw Ken. He looked strong and happy - and that was reassuring. As soon as he passed, I quickly took what I could of our chairs and bags and ran to our car that was parked nearby. I loaded it up and drove down to pick up Colleen and Mom and Dad. As I turned the car around in the middle of the street, I popped the back trunk so they could put in their gear. It felt like a bank robbery get-away. "Everybody in - Let's go!"
Thankfully, we got to Natick with about ten minutes to spare. Again, not knowing if he'd already passed by or not was scary. Again, we saw Ken come toward us. We let our our best screams, took pictures, and were so proud to see this dream playing out before our eyes. Our next stop was further away, so we had time to walk more slowly back to our car. I couldn't help but think of how hot I was just watching this race in the blazing sun, just a few steps away from two apartments that I'd lived for nearly six years. I hoped the heat would not be too much for Ken.
Finally, we drove into Boston and began our trek to mile 25. Colleen and Dad were giving updates that they'd learned by text message, the web, and calls with Danielle. Although Ken's pace seemed to be slowing, that news was a bit comforting, because it seemed maybe he'd made a conscious decision to take it easy in the heat. I hoped it was a decision that might help him achieve his goal.
Once in Boston, we found a wonderful shady spot with a nice breeze. We knew it would be some time before Ken arrived, so my focus turned to the runners in front of us. The looks on their faces were much different from mile eight. Many were walking. Some were crying. One man was vocally praising Jesus and looking skyward, as he tried to find the strength to keep going. Others were strangely upbeat - and they found energy to use hand gestures to call out to the crowd to get a louder applause. In return, the crowd offered kind words to those who were struggling. Everyone who passed by kept going. They were almost there.
At this location, the marathon tracking website failed us - and we were no longer getting text updates on Ken's location. We were left to guess when he might go by. Dad and I batted around the math in our heads - but kept coming up with different times and numbers. Frustrated and lacking an abacus, I decided to just put my sign in the air - knowing it might be too early, fearing it might have been too late. Thirty minutes later, my brother came into view. We'd heard he was having a hard time from Danielle who was his spotter at mile 19. I was stunned to see he looked strong. His pace steady. And he mustered a smile. I was jumping up and down - and so glad that he found us. He made it this far, the finish line just a few blocks away. We packed up our things and began our walk toward the finish line - where we'd meet him after the race. It was hot, crowded and after a long day, I was sweating profusely. But I would not and could not complain. My brother just ran 26 miles in what turned out to be the fourth-hottest Boston marathon on record. They'll talk about this race forever - and I'll never forget what my brother did.
My Dad told me later that Ken said he'd thought of stopping several miles short, but that knowing we were further ahead kept him going. That made me very proud. As a spectator, all you can hope for is that you somehow provide inspiration to a runner in need. As a brother, you just want to be there to motivate, celebrate and comfort. I hope that our presence early along the route and at the end helped Ken achieve this goal. I'm so proud of my brother. He is the man. He raced smart. He raced with spirit and dedication. He finished the Boston Marathon. --POSTED BY JON
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