Henderson runner ‘ecstatic’ after running 1st Boston Marathon
It was pouring rain the final few miles. At that point, it was just about finishing for Eddie Saiz.
About knowing he had done it.
Saiz, a Henderson resident running in his first Boston Marathon on Monday, finished the course in 3:14:11.
He wanted to run a sub-3:10 or even a 3:05.
But nothing hid his joy after crossing the line.
“When they put that medal around my neck, I started to tear up,” said Saiz, 34. “All the pain I felt over four years of training was suddenly worth it. It was amazing. Very special.”
The qualifying standard for males under 35 is three hours.
Saiz had come within minutes three times since 2019, finally breaking through in April 2022 at Mount Charleston.
“I underestimated the hell out of the (Boston) course,” Saiz said. “I always thought training in the hills around Henderson was enough, but those Boston hills ate me up. These rolling hills would come at you every half-mile.”
The most famous of them is Heartbreak Hill between miles 20 and 21. It’s arguably the toughest stretch on the course given how far into the race it arrives. Saiz thought he had come to it earlier.
“I went up a hill and said, ‘That was Heartbreak Hill — that was easy,’” he said. “But I had misjudged the mileage and then saw a sign that said, ‘This is Heartbreak Hill — prepare yourself.’ Those are some of the mental challenges you face during the race.”
One thing is for sure — it won’t be his final trip over that famed 26 miles and 385 yards.
“I’m exhausted but elated and ecstatic,” Saiz said. “No question, I want to (run Boston) again. I’m a competitor, man. Now, I have some extra fuel to the fire to train even harder.”
Contact Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com Follow @edgraney on Twitter.
