Corporate Challenge - Boston
Boston will host its 33rd consecutive J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge on Thursday, June 9.
This will be the 33rd consecutive year for the Corporate Challenge in Boston. The race will have its traditional Charles Street starting line between the iconic Boston Common and Public Garden.
Here's a course map - it hasn't changed at all:
Negative Split Method
Based on everything that I have read, the best way to tackle this race is to use the negative split method - focus on running faster in the second half of the race than the first. Apparently this is a very popular technique that every world record holders uses. Don't believe me? Well, watch a clip of Usain Bolt at the Olympics, notice that he doesn't break out of the pack until the very end.
At the Boston Marathon, the top runners don't start breaking free from the pack until they are about two thirds of the way into the race.
Learning from the Past
I have noticed at the past three Corporate Challenges runners sprint the first mile. As a result they start slowing down when they reach the uphill portion by the Massachusetts Ave bridge. Many are too tired to sprint the final 50 yards on Charles Street. Last year I was surprised how many people I was passing on Boylston and Charles Street.
MapMyRun+
To help make sure that I am running a good pace, I plan on using the coaching feature in MapMyRun+. This feature will give me constant reminder of what my pace is and if I need to speed up or slow down. This will help me stay focus on my goals and not on the runners around me.
I highly recommend using MapMyRun+ if you are trying to run a particular pace. You don't need to have background music in order for this to work.
At the Corporate Challenge in Boston, the midway point is at the corner of Commonwealth Ave and Brookline Ave. Basically its when you do a U-turn to run back to the starting line. That's my indicator to pick up the pace.
Good Luck if your running this year, hope everyone has a fun run! Leave a comment if your running, maybe we'll catch up on the Commons after the race.