<h2><strong>Anyone who knows anything about running</strong></h2>
knows, at least to some degree, that "The Boston Marathon" is <em>a thing</em>. Whether you realize how BIG of a thing it is... you still <em>know </em>of it... at least in some small way. But you get that it's a big deal. And you probably know that fundraising and charity teams are a thing. But do you REALLY know what The Boston Marathon <em>really</em> is? How the fundraising works? Why people <strong><em>care</em></strong> so much?
<h3>I thought I knew. <strong>I was wrong.</strong></h3>
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<h2><strong>What's the big deal with Boston?</strong></h2>
The city of Boston comes alive in late February and early March. All of a sudden... it seems runners are EVERYWHERE. Mass Ave in Cambridge, along the Charles, anywhere you go in the city, really, you'll find the neon-clad masses cruising up and down the sidewalks, dutifully logging the miles as they build to the Big Event on Patriot's Day.
<h3><strong>And then... <em>it comes!</em></strong></h3>
Tens of thousands of people make the carb-fueled, pavement-pounding 26.2 mile pilgrimage from Hopkinton to the heart of the city of Boston. Passing through Ashland, Framingham, Natick &amp; Wellesley. Seeing the miles tick by as they as they pass through Newton to Commonwealth Ave. Summiting Heartbreak Hill, onward to Fenway Park and the ever-distant Citgo sign. Back to Comm Ave... through the thickest of the thick, the hundreds and thousands of spectators... right on Hereford... left on Boylston... until finally... Copley Square and the Boston Public Library come into view... the freshly painted finish line... and the sweet release of the finish. The infamous track jacket and medal have been earned, with all their attendant prestige. <em>You did it. </em><em>You're a marathoner. You ran Boston!</em>
<h3><strong>And even if you never run it again... you'll never forget it.</strong></h3>
The Boston Marathon holds a high level of regard among those in the running world, and rightly so. It's one of the more challenging, the oldest, and the most prestigious marathons you can hope to participate in. It is highly desired and notoriously difficult to get in to. You've either got to run another marathon VERY fast to qualify, or you've got to be accepted to a charity team and raise gobs of money. But how exactly does that even work?

Peter Villa, of the "How Was Your Run Today?" podcast, joins us to talk about exactly that. Join us for a positively <em>rousing </em>discussion about:
<ul>
 	<li>when last we saw each other at Millinocket</li>
 	<li>why someone would want to run Boston at all</li>
 	<li>qualifying for Boston</li>
 	<li>how to become a part of a charity team</li>
 	<li>how fundraising on a charity team works</li>
 	<li>and more</li>
</ul>
<h3><strong>Links &amp; Resources from this episode</strong></h3>
<ul>
 	<li><a href="http://www.HowWasYourRunToday.com">www.HowWasYourRunToday.com</a></li>
 	<li><a href="https://www.crowdrise.com/spauldingrehabboston17/fundraiser/petervilla">Peter's Boston Marathon fundraising page</a></li>
 	<li><a href="https://giving.spauldingnetwork.org/raceforrehab">Spaulding Race for Rehab</a></li>
 	<li><a href="http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon.aspx">Official BAA Boston Marathon website</a></li>
</ul>
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