In May, I achieved something I’d been working towards for a few years: I ran 3:30 at the Edinburgh Marathon, a time that would qualify me to enter the Boston Marathon.
Before this I’d spent a couple of training cycles trying to run under 3:45 to gain Good For Age (GFA) entry into the notoriously difficult-to-enter London Marathon. Once this had been ticked off, along with running the hallowed 26.2-mile route to The Mall, Boston became my goal.
As a 34 year-old woman, Boston demanded I run a marathon faster than 3:35 for my entry to be considered. A man of the same age would need to run under 3:05. Some guys feel that’s unfair: that it’s a harder task than that faced by women.
