Introducing the Run For Boston Marathon

UPDATED APRIL 17: I learned about the Boston Marathon World Run after saving this blog post, and saw that nearly 10,000 runners have signed up to do that, with proceeds going to One Fund Boston. So let me preface everything on this entry by saying that I encourage others to be part of THAT run. You can do this by joining me as outlined here, or just run on your own, whatever length you want. Or you can just donate. I will pledge my miles to the Boston Marathon World Run and will shoot for a marathon but because I have been in light-running mode lately I will just run till I'm done.

I invite any other runners to join me at Central Park at 7 a.m. ET on Monday, April 21, for the RUN FOR BOSTON MARATHON. This @Marathoner run will be informal and unscored and not affiliated with any organization. So treat it more as a long run, make sure you are fit for 26.2 (walk as needed) and take the opportunity to show your own love for our friends up north and for a runner who died trying to get there.

This is an outlet for any of us for obvious reasons. I'm not just running for the city of Boston and the survivors and heroes of last year's tragic events, but also for Meg Menzies, who was killed by a drunk driver in January while training for this Boston Marathon. It is a dual dedication, for Boston and for #MegsMiles. Their spirit lives on in us. I want to do something and I know that for many of us, running is our best way to be involved.

#RunForBostonMarathon will be our hashtag for this, as well as #MegsMiles, so please use that to help spread the word.

FINAL UPDATED COURSE ROUTE: Having run the NYRR Knickerbocker 60K previously, that is my only run of at least 26.2 completely within Central Park. I am going to adapt to that route with this. We will start at Runner's Gate at Central Park, 90th Street and East Drive. The course will be CLOCKWISE, against regular traffic flow, so it's down Cat Hill. The laps will be 5 5 5 5 5 miles each, using the 102nd Street Transverse each time, so no Harlem Hill. That puts you at 25 miles, and I will leave it up to others but I will plan to modify my final 1.2 miles (recorded on my new Garmin Forerunner 220) by following the bridal path over to West Drive and then to 102nd Street Transverse and back to the start. That should be close, go by whatever your own mileage is for the finish.

If you want to run with me, then look for my white Marathon Maniacs cap. I'll have on a dark gray top and black ASICS shorts, with black calf sleeves and ASICS GEL-Cumulus 16s, optic yellow & black. I still have the placard bib that we wore on our backs in the first NYRR race after last year's bombings, and I will wear that again.

Here is the weather forecast for that Monday in 10023. It looks like good running weather, a high of 61 that day and overcast in the morning.

I realize that a Monday morning marathon might be tough for many people's schedules. I'm taking a vacation day so I can dedicate myself to the memory of those who were lost or maimed at the 2013 Boston Marathon, to support our right to public safety without fear, and also to show support for Meg's family, including her husband, who is running Boston. As some 36,000 runners set out to finish the 2014 Boston Marathon on that Patriots Day, we will be right there with them, in spirit, testing our own limits.

Please follow me @Marathoner on Twitter, and I am @markmlb on Instagram. If anyone would like to hang out around Runner's Gate and offer nourishment ie orange slices and salt packets to runners, it would be ever so appreciated. We'll see how large this becomes, and maybe that will take care of itself. Either way, again make sure to be prepared with how you usually would fuel for a marathon or long run. Sound OK? I hope you will feel free to join me and let me know if you have suggestions for other ways to do this.