more) and genuinely motivating (a 20-strong, uniformed gospel choir in Brooklyn). At mile 15, the Queensboro Bridge, with its mile-long incline and absence of crowd support, was a really tough physical and mental test, but runners then hit a wall

Abril Bridge (the date of the country's revolution in 1974, history buffs). Running north towards the city on the road deck of this 1.5-mile-long suspension bridge above the River Tagus must surely be one of the most spectacular starts in world running

years of anticipation, four months of training, 3,000 miles of travel and a missed kiss from the future first female President of the USA really come to this?Making the cutMy road to Boston started in April 2009, when I ran a personal best of 3:13