“Listen my children and you shall hear, of the midnight ride of Paul Revere”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
So here in the Boston area today is a very special day, Patriots’ Day. A day when we take the time to commemorate the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first battles of the American Revolutionary War, fought on April 19, 1775. As if celebrating one of the defining moments in American history wasn’t enough we also have the privilege of cheering on some of the world’s greatest runners during the annual running of the BAA’s Boston Marathon. The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon, has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records and has always been held on the same day that Patriots Day has been observed. In 1969 when the holiday was officially moved from whatever day April 19th fell on to the third Monday in April so was the Marathon. Marathon Monday was born!
Crazily enough the distance of the Marathon also has a little bit of British in the mix (or so the rumor says). The original Olympic marathon distance of 24.8 miles was tied to the Greek legend of foot soldier Pheidippides but in 1908 during the London games per the wishes of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandria the distance was lengthened to allow the Royal family to view the start of the race from Windsor Castle. 26 miles was the distance between Windsor Castle and Olympic Stadium and 385 yards around the track were added so the runners would finish in front of the king and queen’s royal box. To comply with Olympic standards the Boston Marathon also became a 26 mile 385 yard race.
I have always loved the Marathon, even before I started running myself. Whether I was watching it on TV like millions of others or standing somewhere along the course with the 500,000 other spectators cheering the runners on as a grad student at Boston College the stories of heartbreak, triumph and sheer strength of character have always moved me in ways I could never truly put into words. John Kelley, Ellison Tarzan Brown and the story of Heartbreak Hill, Roberta Gibb starting from the bushes in 1966, the physical attempts at forcing Katherine Switzer out of the race in 1967, Bill Rodgers claiming four titles, 1982’s ‘Duel in the Sun’ between Alberto Salazar and Dick Beardsley, Joan Benoit’s world-best time finish for win number two, the record making performances of Moses Tanui (2:07:34), Joseph Chebet (2:07:37), and Gert Thys (2:07:52) and of course the amazing team of Dick and Rick Hoyt. Its 116 year history is littered with amazing moments so it is fitting to me that it is shared with a day where the true spirit of the American Patriot is remembered.
For me for the past few years Marathon Monday has been a 5 mile road race that starts and ends on the very same Lexington Battle Green that Paul Revere rode through during the wee hours of that April morning so long ago. I run my race, crossing the finish line just in time to hear the finish of the Marathon on the radio. This year I figured I would throw in a little added bonus,
the tutorial for my Race Medal Display.
Materials:
Rectangle shaped plaque
Paint for your background color (I used what I had lying around)
Blackboard paint in whatever color works with your background
Painters Tape (unless you have a super steady hand)
Paint or sponge brushes
Screw in hooks (I call them cup hooks)
A picture hanger
Ruler and pencil
Chalk and your favorite running quote.
First, take your base and sand it down if needed. Once ready give it a nice coat of paint, two if you need to! Let your base dry.
Using your ruler and pencil, measure out your ‘chalkboard space’ and mark the dimensions with a light pencil line. I chose to use the top half as my space so when hanging the medals wouldn’t be in the way. 
Using the pencil line as a guide, mask off the area to prep it for your blackboard paint. Fill in your area with your blackboard paint and let it dry.
Now for your hooks! On the bottom half of your plaque mark little x’s where you would like your hooks to be placed, making sure the rows off-set for better displaying. The number of hooks will vary based on the number of medals you have or the number of races you plan to run.
I say dream big so add a few extra hooks!
Flip your board over and attach you picture hanging bracket. Depending on the type you choose, the number of medals you have and/or the weight of your medals you might want to use two; one in each corner for secure hanging.
Flip your board back over and screw in all of your hooks. Take your chalk and on your blackboard write in your favorite quote, the date of your next race or whatever motivates you! Hang that bad Larry up for the world to see and place your medals on the hooks.
The last and final step is to sit back, grab a Sam Adams ‘Adams Boston 26.2 Brew’ and as Joan Benoit Samuelson said ‘Recognize your victories’! Now, not only do you have a way to keep your medals from languishing in a box in your closet you also have a way to display the fruits of countless miles of training and hours of sore muscles.
HAPPY MARATHON MONDAY!
Thanks for swinging by, happy running!
:) Leah
