Boston Marathon 2023 – 50th Anniversary

Day By Day Account 

THURSDAY 4/13: Arrived Logan Airport, met up with Lorie Moreno-Roch and caught a cab to our hotel, Fairmont Copley.  It was like Queen-for-a-Day all weekend, from the moment we arrived.  Flowers and gifts were waiting for me!
Dinner with Rosemary Spraker, Lorie, and Jon Anderson, my co-champion in this anniversary.  At long last, I finally met my coordinator, planner, confidante, chaperone, and now friend, Suzanne Walmsley.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FRIDAY 4/14:  The day began early at a fundraising breakfast for Achilles International, the Boston chapter.  Ron Wayne introduced Jon Anderson and I to the organization’s leader, Joe Lemar.

In the afternoon, the wonderful  journalist and moderator, Barbara Huebner interviewed both Jon and me on the main stage at the Boston Marathon Expo.  Fortunately for me, my runner, Adan Acevedo recorded the whole thing, attached here:  Jon and Jaqi Expo Interview

Barbara even pulled that story out of me about what I wore when I won Boston, even though I’ve told it a thousand times.  The shirt was the only piece of my wardrobe that worked well, but the terrycloth shorts and wool socks were thrown away.  I loved my little shirt, soft cotton, embroidered with hearts, stripes and stars all in red, white and blue.  It was suitably patriotic for Patriot’s Day. It became my lucky shirt and I wore it so much, it got holes in it, which I covered with more embroidered stars.  Imagine my surprise when this day, I was presented with a gift from my friends Caroline Merena and Diane Cavanaugh Nugent who provided me with a perfect replica of my shirt!  It is the piece de resistance!

 

 

 

 

 

 

This evening, the BAA held their Welcome Reception, where Jon and I were honored and presented our 50th Anniversary Milestone Medallions.  We were surrounded by our friends, which now included Julie McKinney (my roommate), and many Boston champions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SATURDAY 4/15:  Following the morning’s 5K road race, there were terrific line-ups for the street mile runs.  The grandstands were packed, and the weather was perfect.  Such excitement!
We found time for a non-running related activity – a habit of mine – seeking independent bookstores.  We found a gem, the Beacon Hill Books & Cafe  
after which we enjoyed a delicious lunch.  En route, we went through Boston Commons and saw “Make Way for Ducklings.”

Early afternoon, we attended the memorial in honor of this 10th anniversary and those affected by the 2013 bombings.  Simply everyone was there, survivors, families of the victims, first responders, the mayor, politicians, the Red Sox team members, police and fire departments, officials, simply everyone.  It was a thoughtful ceremony, simple, respectful, and bells rang out.

Late afternoon, the Gathering of Eagles, well Old Eagles, took place.  This was Ron and Jon’s idea, which quickly expanded to include the group of Boston area runners who planned to honor the recently deceased Coach Squires.  In other words, before long, the Long Oak Bar was packed to capacity.  In fact it was so much so, that a few girlfriends I invited couldn’t find me, all 5’0″ of me, given everyone towered over me, so I moved out for a time, to a table in the restaurant section and held a mini-reunion of “just us girls.”  What a marvelous time!

Saturday was quite the long day, capped by the BAA Gives Back Fundraiser featuring David Ortiz, “Big Papi,” and Adrianne Haslet, later that evening.  This was the first opportunity Adrianne and I had the chance to meet, talk, and get to know one another.  Now, I feel as though we’ve been friends forever.  What an inspiration she is in so many ways, to so many people.  All my friends in sport are highly jealous I got my picture taken with Big Papi.  I am fortunate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUNDAY 4/16:  A very early morning breakfast took place at the BAA Office with Jack Fleming, Joan Samuelson, and a visiting Chinese tour group.  I surprised Jack by presenting my donation to the archives, which are now aptly named after the deceased Gloria Ratti, former VP at the BAA, and long-time advocate for women athletes.  She long ago wrangled my winning shirt from me for her collection, and I have her letters to prove it.  She had the most beautiful penmanship you could imagine, and she wrote ” . . . persistance paid off . . . thank you for your shirt . . . I knew you’d find it for me . . . ”
I added my winning wreath, bib number, finisher’s certificate, and my 2013 bib number — no I did not run, I shot the starting gun instead, so the bib is in mint condition.

Sunday evening, Gloria Ratti’s Tribute Dinner was held with the BAA Board of Governors.  So this entire day was dedicated, at least in my mind, to Gloria.  I miss her greatly.  Don’t we all?!

In between these two events, I visited the Expo to first hear Kara Goucher and other authors on a panel discussion, and to speak on another panel with Patti Dillon and Marilyn Bevins.  Again, Adan recorded the session:  JQ-Patti-Marilyn Panel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MARATHON MONDAY MORNING 4/17:  It was an early wake-up alarm that got us out the door to board the bus at 6:30 AM to go to the starting line in Hopkinton.  I saw something in the lobby of the hotel I’d never seen before.  As the elite athletes strode through the lobby to board their bus, ahead of us, the hotel staff assembled a sort of tunnel and cheered them on, and of course we all fell into place cheering and applauding.  What a spectacle!  It was marvelous.

Once out in Hopkinton, after what seemed like a never-ending drive (as I’m sure every runner sees it), we were free to roam about the “village,” but mostly we chose to roam the BAA house located right behind the grandstands overlooking the starting line.  The house naturally has a lot of artifacts in glass cases or frames on the wall.  I gave Adrianne, Jon, Lorie, and Julie a little tour.  I believe this was their first visit to the house.

Eventually, the moment that Jon and I had long waited for!  Time to go on stage to shoot the starting gun, Jon for the elite men, then me for the elite women.  I’m hesitant to share this part of my story, but it turned out fine, so I will reveal what happened.  About a month before this trip, my right shoulder — which has two prior reconstruction surgeries and holds 8 screws + 4 anchors already — well, it decided to fall apart again.  It is scheduled for replacement surgery in the very near future.  As if that weren’t enough to make me wonder how I was going to raise that arm to shoot that gun, then, the night before the trip, I managed to trip myself on the steps up to my house.  But instead of going to seek medical help, I just caught my ride and  headed for the airport.  I did not even want to know the damage.  Long story short, while I was seated in the BAA house, waiting to go on stage, I found out the man seated next to me was a physical therapist, and he suggested I hold the gun with both hands.  Brilliant!  Then, when I got up on stage, the man who taught me to use the gun concurred, and used a practice gun to test out our procedure.  Honestly, if you watch the video (a kind woman on stage volunteered to take), it all went smoothly.  I was relaxed enough to even blow my friend a kiss on the starting line for the elite women, Natasha Bliss, when we made eye contact (I dared not put that gun down to wave).  I felt great relief.
Oh, and I even remembered to tell Jon to save the bullet casing, as I did it too (I learned that from my turn in 2013), he was so glad I mentioned it.  Me too.

By 10:00 AM, we boarded the bus, with our police escort, to get back to town in time to witness the first finishers coming in.  It was a great weather day for the early finishers, but by early afternoon it began to rain, so the later finishers got soaked.  We got soaked too, just leaving the grandstands to get in our hotel.  It wasn’t terrible, and it just sort of showered off and on all afternoon.

I won’t even try to relay results here since that would be old news.  Look for yourself:
2023 Race Results here

Without much rest, the post-race party at Fenway Park seemed to come up pretty quick that night.  Because everything outside was rather wet, the party was contained to the indoors, and it was great fun, with music and great food.  Yet, most of us had flights to catch the next day, so we shuttled back early to the hotel to pack and rest.  That plan did not quite work out, since none of us wanted to part, so we stayed until we closed the bar down.