Boaz gives his take on his marathon debut in New York City, where he placed 19th in 2:21:40:
I am recovering well and just regret not being on top of my game that day.
My plan was to run behind the leaders and stay relaxed. I missed fluid stations at 5K and 15K, which was a mistake. Everything was going well until I fell along with Abel Kurui at the 20K fluid station, but I got up quickly and went back to get my fluid.
At the half marathon, I closed on the leaders and we crossed at 66:06, and I was still very comfortable. Right after this they quickened the pace, and I held back a little bit to run a more conservative pace, thinking I would reel them back. Things were fine until the 14-mile mark when my legs cramped, and they just got heavier for the rest of the race. I kept going because I kept thinking the cramping would dissipate if I worked through it, and I was doing okay until somewhere around 17 or 18 miles. Right around here my toenail fell off as well, which didn’t help anything. The rest of the race was just brutal for me and my legs were totally dead. I decided to finish the race the best I could so that I wouldn’t have dropping out haunting me for future races.
With training going so well, I had envisioned being very competitive, as Brad Hudson and I thought the top five was realistic. I come away from New York disappointed, but I hope the experience of my first marathon will be a building block for future marathons.
Boaz, way to go, The first one is always the hardest IMO. Next time when you get in the race and youre really on, it will be that much easier. There is a huge learning curve. Im proud that you hung in as I see many elites drop out when they aren’t having a great day. You got guts boy. Hang in there.
Great job overcoming all the adversity you faced on race day. As Frank said, this will pay off for you in your future races! I also really enjoy and appreciate the footage from you and James.
A great effort, Boaz! I will be cheering you on in your next marathon.