Being a Boston Marathon Spectator

On Monday, April 21 I plan on going to the Boston Marathon as a spectator.  There are three friends that I know who are running the race.  Eddie McCoy, Michelle Scribner-MacLean and Linda Ambard.  I set them up with runner tracking in my phone.  I hope I get to physically see them at the race! I have to get my kids off to school first, then I am driving up.  I have been chatting online with friends of Eddie and Michelle and we are hoping to all hook up and figure out where and how to do this spectating bit!  We have all never been there before.  I am also using the road trip to figure out what I will be doing for the Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon on June 8th with Kimberly Markey and Gail Savidge!  There is a downloadable spectator guide on the Boston Marathon site that I using for reference. I have my computer open with Google Maps, Boston Marathon’s webpage and a marathon pace calculator trying to figure out when people will be taking off, when to expect to see them and where I need to be at what time.  I think being a spectator is harder work that being the actual runner (well…. not exactly).  But it sure is easier to show up at the start line on race morning because you know where you have to be and what time you have to be there and then you follow the rest of the people all the way to the end!  Pretty simple. There are guidelines on what spectators can bring to the race so I need to take these rules into consideration.  I was planning on packing a lunch and having food and drinks with me so I have to study these guidelines and plan accordingly. Eddie is a fast runner and will be going out of the start around 10:25.  I believe Michelle and Linda are going at 11:25. I expect to arrive in the area sometime before noon (if I don’t have traffic issues) and I am hoping to watch the race from Heartbreak Hill.  So according to my calculations Eddie will be at the hill around 1 pm and Michelle and Linda will be there around 3:30 .  Parking is something I still haven’t figured out yet. I am making runDisney signs from the #DisneySide party planning kit that I received in February, and I can’t wait to be a part of the excitement of the day and to experience a side to races that I have never done before – cheering others on!  I know that while I am there and feel the energy of this race, it is going to fuel the desire I have burning inside me to one day qualify for this race. Since I have zero knowledge of the area, do you have any advice to give for spectating this awesome event?