1am: I’m awake since all times are EST. Let’s start this race! Technically, CNSHMB are currently tied for first place. I’m not sure how this live blog’s gonna work seeing as how I’m 3000 miles away. If you’re at the race and you see my peeps please let me know when and where and how they’re doing. Rock on.

1:09am: I snuck out of work last year to watch the race and some random chick I had met once shows up and starts yapping at the back of my head. PLEASE. I cannot scan the crowd with your constant jibber-jabber and if you make me miss my damn sister I’m gonna be PISSED. Then I made this video.

2am: Still awake. Here’s Hondo from last year’s race. Hey, a bunch more from the photoblog.

2:04am: SMHB, from two years back, and again last year.

2:28am:Oh man, who are these dorks? I guess it’s good to have fans who can spell. Ok, brief sleep interlude, back with updates before the estimated 10:30am bandit start wave. I have to say I’m glad it ain’t me doing this tomorrow.

6:43am: Got a last word from Hondo, ‘feeling great and stretching’. That’s better than ‘freaking and foaming at the mouth’.

9:58am: The wheelchairs and elite women are off, elite men and wave 1 will be starting in two minutes.

10:10am: As of right now only one findable photo is up on flickr with today’s date. Is this because Bostonians lack proper iPhone density or is it a failure of mobile tagging? Here’s the search if you want to watch them come in.

10:14am: Here’s part of the map of William Dawes’ ride back on the original 1775 Patriot’s Day, courtesy of his descendants via Allston02134. It looks like he crossed over the racecourse in just one place, at Beacon & Harvard in Brookline. That’s pretty cool how much of downtown used to be underwater, when Back Bay was back, under the bay.

10:32am: There’s been some speculation that Ryan Hall could finally be the guy who could break Robert Cheruiyot’s three year winning streak (and the 26-year American drought). According to the BAA live-blog Hall was out in the lead at 800 meters but dropped back at mile three. At five though he’s back, with the leaders running 4:48 splits. Just, wow.

10:41am: While the live flickr stream is a little lame the tweets, oh man, the tweets flow like wine. Some ideas: #bostonmarathon, #marathonmonday & #patriotsday.

10:52am: The guy behind runkeeper is, if I’m understanding this correctly, not only live-tweeting the race but also running it in an iPhone costume.

10:58am: Most of the realtime photos are going to twitpic but that doesn’t seem to have a search function. But twitpick is aggregating them for us.

11:30am: I’ve got a formally-sanctioned runner to track! Lucy’s running a 8:13 split past 10K for a projected 3:35 finish. It goes without saying this is faster than me. Los Banditos have still not been spotted but our eye in the sky is in place at Framingham and just texted she expected them shortishly.

11:38am: I don’t know exactly when CNSMHB started, but they’ll probably finish between 2-3pm. Here in SF today it’s supposed to be a holy-sweltering 88 degrees by then. Fortunately it’s cloudy and cooler in Boston, 47 degrees at finish time. Much, much better to run in.

11:45am: Yarr, SP says the battery’s shot on her borrowed iPhone so we may have to practice our delayed gratification skillz.

11:52am: Both of them are through Framingham, eight minutes apart! Go Team HB! Here’s a shot of the leaders back in Ashland…

12:40pm: I just got into work here and missed the elite finish. Deriba Merga for the men, Salina Kosgei for the women. Ryan Hall finished third.

12:43pm: Just talked to my old people who, very out of breath, were about to reach the mile 19 in Newton. We’ve traditionally watched the race at this spot near the top of Heartbreak Hill because SJH used to live nearby in Newtonville, and even though she’s moved on it’s still seems like the right spot to encourage some tired folks working their way upwards.

1:02pm: An interesting read on the race’s relationship with bandit runners and the Red Snakes. Finish director Tom Meagher comes across as a dick.

“Up till the three hour mark, we’re yanking [bandits] out,” Meagher said. “I tell security, ‘get them out of there!’ We’re not going to give these people a stage. From the corner of Exeter [Street] to the finish, we yank them.”

1:20pm: SMHB is past mile 19! Let’s rough out his splits for fun – 19 miles, we’ll give him a 10:40 estimated start time, that’s an 8:25 split. Lucy’s last time point is 30K and her 8:15 split is pretty steady from what it was this morning.

1:35pm: I was remiss not to mention American Kara Goucher finished third in what sounds like a heartbreaking finish.

American Kara Goucher led the three as they crossed the MassPike into Kenmore Square with one mile to go, but she was outkicked down the stretch and finished 9 seconds back.

Goucher burst into tears and was consoled by her husband(…)

Goucher’s voice cracked repeatedly in the postrace news conference.

”I just wanted it for everybody that wanted it for me,” she said. ”I’m proud of how I did. I just wanted to be the one that won for everybody.”

1:49pm: Hondo is past mile 19! My mom & dad and older sisters are there, said she looked strong but was shaking from the cold, wind. In other news, Sarah is the WORST UPDATER EVER.

2:05pm: Just spoke with the W.U.E., she said SMHB was by mile 20 at 1:22pm and Hondo at 1:53. According to projections that puts him finished in 4 minutes(!) and her a half hour past that. She’s now on her way down to Copley with champagne – what a great way to celebrate a finish! Sarah also said SMHB dumped his soaked long sleeve shirt at mile 20 – that’s a good friend right there, someone you can hand your sweaty dregs to without fear of icking them out.

2:26pm: BB on reverse marathoning (& back) via bicycle.

2:28pm: Lucy is finished, 3:30:29! This is a qualifying time for next year. Fan-friggin-tastic.

2:33pm: Hondo’s gotta be close now, just waiting on word… Estimating a 9:39 split for her (given time to mile 20) she should be finishing right around 2:50. So I’m guessing she’s within two miles, east of Coolidge Corner.

3:42pm: Done and done! Everyone sounded happy and fast. Dang yo I wanna be happy and fast. Congrats to all!!

Some people have been making statements to the effect that they ran the BAA half-marathon on Sunday (using quasify(!), no less). This claim is questionable when available primary evidence is examined. To wit,

• Parental units unaware of race on Saturday evening.
• Absence of runner’s name from Results
• Complete, utter lack of BAA tag updates.

Only one conclusion follows. All poseurs will be outed!

UPDATE 1: 10K down for CNHB! 9:42 splits, this is under the low end of her split range (10:00-12:00). She’s somewhere in Framingham now, I think there are fans to see her at mile 6 but I haven’t heard from them yet.

UPDATE 2: 15K down, which should put CNHB passing over the gorgeous Lake Cochicuate. SP just called – she and the old people were indeed at mile 6 but managed to miss everyone. I’m planning to leave Longwood here in a bit to walk up to mile 25 – our most aggressive estimates put SMHB there in 90 minutes.

UPDATE 3: CNHB just passed 25K, her split finally fell below 10:00. That’s expected, hopefully no IT band issues. I’m heading out to see what there is to see, updates mas tarde.

UPDATE 4: Finished! Saw them both! Accidentally stepped on little one’s foot when she came to say hi, SORRY!!

UPDATE 5: Photos! What probably my best Bevo ever and one each from Team HB.

CNHB runs the 2007 BAA half marathon.

I’m ashamed that I’ve lived in my place for almost a year without realizing the quality of life improvement that can be derived from extending my westward loop a bit to circle the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. This is a gorgeous turn-around that lets you forget about the rats and drunks and type a-holes turning right on red into a full crosswalk. Currently I’m favoring this choice over going through BU and looping the Charles (though easier to set random lengths there). Other practical advantages to Chestnut Hill include the homestretch being mostly downhill, and avoiding the slumerlandic regions of lower Allston.

If you’re running the BAA Half Marathon and are interested in joining my group on facebook, that’d be cool. I don’t know that there’s any particular point to joining per se, it’s just something to do, don’t get all existential.

It’s really hot, but eventually we’re going to have to expand beyond the little loops. Things have been pretty exhausting around here, and some people get tired before the longer river loop is done. Friggin dog brake.

UPDATE: As of 10K, he’s on pace to run 3:37:53. That seems fast, a sub 8:20 split. We’ll see if he can sustain.

FINAL UPDATE:
5k 0:26:07
10k 0:51:31
15k 1:17:29
20k 1:43:01
Half 1:48:29
25k 2:08:41
30k 2:35:01
35k 3:02:26
40k 3:29:33
Final 3:40:28
Split 0:08:25