Boston Marathon 2025
The third weekend of April was a big one in Boston. Between the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Easter, and Marathon Monday, the city was buzzing. This was my 3rd Boston Marathon in handcycle division plus one in the push rim racing chair division back in 2005. In 2023 I finished 9th in a time of 1 hour and 30 minutes. The next year I finished in 8th with a time of 1 hour and 22 minutes, and this year I finished in 7th place with a time of 1 hour and 21 minutes.
This year was my first on my new carbon fiber bike from JetBike. The carbon fiber bike is a good 5 to 10 pounds lighter than my older aluminum-framed bike, and it's much stiffer. On my older aluminum bike, I could see the fork flex slightly when pedaling hard, as opposed to my Jetbike carbon fiber, where there is no flex, and a greater percentage of my power is translated to the wheels rather than being lost in the flexing of the frame material.
This year's race got off to a good start, and I was able to stay with the lead pack for the first few miles. With the downhill start in Boston, it helps to be 6’4” and 200 lbs. Overall, the weather was great both years, but we might have had a tailwind in 2024 that made us all a little faster than we really were. With the Boston route being mostly west to east, the wind and weather can really help or hurt. Once we hit some uphill climbs, though, that weight worked against me, and I fell away from the leaders. I hoped to finish in around 1 hour and 15 minutes with the new bike and another year of indoor training with a power meter and Zwift, but I didn’t quite hit that mark and finished in 1 hour and 21 minutes. Although I did not reach my PR, in this year’s race, I was a minute faster and one place better than 2024, which made me feel good compared to the guys who were ahead of me, who were a few minutes slower than last year. All in all, I’m happy and proud to have placed 7th in the biggest handcycle race in the US.
Photo credit: Denis Minevich, Denis Minevich Design
Next up is the Vermont Cities ½ marathon in Burlington, VT, on Memorial Day weekend. That race is a 13.1-mile loop, which can be a better way to measure your fitness and equipment because of the consistent terrain and conditions throughout the course. A headwind in one section will be a tailwind in another, and every climb is balanced by a downhill. After that, I’m hoping to return to Mt. Washington in July. Unlike some other races, the weather there controls everything. If conditions cooperate, I’m aiming to break the fastest known time by a handcyclist on the Auto Road—3 hours, 19 minutes, and 50 seconds—set by Jared Fenstermacher in 2024. With clear skies and the JetBike, I believe I’ll have a real shot at it.
