To qualify for the 2017 Boston Marathon, runners must complete a different marathon on or after Sept. 19, 2015, with a time of 3 hours and 5 minutes for males or 3 hours and 35 minutes for females ages 18-34.
Davon Geiger traveled 886 miles from Ball State to compete with 30,000 other runners in the Boston Marathon April 18.
A junior and president of Ball State's Run Club, Geiger qualified for the marathon in November.
Geiger ran four other marathons prior to Boston, but his fifth marathon was the “Super Bowl of Running,” and the experience was something he could not describe with words.
“The Boston’s just like the granddaddy of all marathons. … Just the history behind it and how long it’s been going and the people that run it — it’s just amazing,” Geiger said. “I think everybody wants a chance to do it that’s run a marathon before.”
Geiger said he feels like he is always training for a race, but started to increase the mileage of his runs in January to prepare for Boston.
He traveled with his family and girlfriend to Boston the weekend before the marathon to explore the city. He got his race number, 4938, the day before the race. Geiger said it then became real to him that he was actually there and about to run the Boston Marathon.
“That was an awesome feeling, and I already have my number hanging up in my room. Once you get that number, that’s what you are in that race,” he said.
At the start line, Geiger observed the amount of people who were there, and the nervousness that normally accompanies him turned into excitement.
“I knew I had 26 miles to go, but I was seeing the amount of people and how happy everyone was and excited. It just kinda rubbed off on me, and I couldn’t stop smiling,” he said. “No matter where you were on the course, if you were in pain there’s someone on the side just kind of yelling at you to keep going, and the finish was the same way. There’s one more turn, and then you see the finish line. That’s probably one of the best feelings I’ve ever had in my life was to see the finish line and all the people just screaming their heads off. It was crazy.”
Geiger ran the marathon in three hours and 39 minutes . At one point, he started experiencing a lot of pain and decided to focus on taking in the experience of being in the marathon instead of getting a fast time.
“I think that’s what made it so special, ... that I stopped worrying about my time. I still pushed myself, but I was just able to enjoy the whole atmosphere without being upset with myself for going slower than I normally do,” he said. “I’m going back sometime. … I have to go back someday.”
Geiger’s mom ordered shirts for his family and the Run Club to wear. While his grandma accidentally wore the shirt early, he received a text the day of the marathon of the club wearing the shirts.
“It meant a lot to me to show that they were supporting me here, and they threw one on Frog Baby,” Geiger said. “Every day when I go [to Run Club] and run, they’re pushing me. We’re talking about how to train for races like that, so I give them a lot of credit for helping me improve my times and be able to do things like the Boston. I wouldn’t be able to do it if it wasn’t for some of those runners in there.”
Nicholas Nordmann is a senior exercise major and does 10- to 25-mile runs with Geiger three times per week. Geiger has coached Nordmann in triathlons, and the two completed the Monumental Marathon in Indianapolis together in 2015.
"I hope that we will be training together or racing together in the future years because [Geiger] never tears you down. He always builds you up, no matter if you beat him by six miles or lose to him by six miles. We could be doing a track workout or a long run. It doesn't matter with him," Nordmann said. "He is better than most but he doesn't hold it over them. That is why he inspires me."
Drew Happe is a sophomore actuarial science major and has never done a marathon, but he and Geiger would run together almost every day at Run Club to help Geiger get his miles in.
“He’s one of my favorite running partners. You can have a nice conversation or you can go for hitting a fast pace or whatever you need. He’s pretty good at doing all of that,” Happe said. “[Boston] is kind of like the No. 1 goal among runners. I’d say at some point in my life I’d like to run Boston. … He’s kind of been a great inspiration to try and accomplish that goal.”
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