26 Miles to Boston: A Guide to the World's Most Famous Marathon

by Michael Connelly, John Kelly (Foreword), Bill Rodgers (Foreword)

26 MILES TO BOSTON slips squarely into the running shoes and minds of the athletes as they traverse the 26-mile, 385-yard course of America's most venerated long-distance race. From suburban Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to the center of metropolitan Boston, here are the mile-by-mile sights and sounds experienced by the runners. Interwoven throughout is the colorful history of the men and women of manifold skills who have competed in this preeminent event over the span of more than a century. Profusely illustrated with photographs and maps, 26 MILES TO BOSTON is a book for anyone who's ever wondered what it might be like to run the Boston Marathon.

248 pages, Paperback

Published March 1, 2020

About the author

Michael Connelly was a popular sportswriter in the New England area for over a decade. He is also an author, coach, and business executive. Connelly has appeared on television and radio including ESPN, NPR, Fox News and was featured in the CBS documentary “Marching On.”

Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Boston Marathon qualifier, I wanted to gain further insight into the race before tackling the 129th version. This book did not disappoint. Each chapter takes readers through a single mile of the Boston Marathon, all the way from Hopkinton to downtown Boston. The race is depicted through the lens of Michael Connelly, a thirty-two-year-old father and first-time marathon runner, during his completion of the 1996 Boston Marathon. Connelly does a wonderful job conveying his experiences running the race while incorporating notable topographical and historical elements. At the beginning of the book, there is a map of the course, which is a useful guide for readers. Boston is an unforgiving race. Although it is a net downhill marathon, most of the descending occurs in the first half, making the second half marathon extremely difficult. Highlights of the course include the Wellesley scream tunnel around mile 13, along with the Newton hills between miles 16 and 22. One thing that became clear to me after reading this book is that people who run Boston aren't just there to cover 26.2 miles. There is something extraordinary, maybe even transcendental, about this race that you cannot fully appreciate until you have done it.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it this book. Each chapter covers the correlated mile with descriptions of the course itself and some of the history to go with it. I wouldn't have minded more specific course strategy, but truly a recommended read for lovers of the Boston Marathon!

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading this as I prepped for the 2022 Boston Marathon. Gave some history about the race, stories of people that ran it and great descriptions of every mile.

[Thomas U · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was ok, but didn’t like that it was writing by a guy who didn’t earn his way there.