Halfway through the Boston Marathon runners will encounter Hearbreak Hill. What does it look like before the race? And why is it called Heartbreak Hill?

Updated 3/19/11, 2:05 p.m.: Newton resident Kristine Brazin, who ran yesterday's marathon to raise awareness for Donate Life New England, shared her Boston Marathon experience with Patch in an e-mail sent Tuesday afternoon: Yesterday's race was a bit tough for me. Even by mile five I was feeling tired, not a good sign for a 26.2 mile footrace. I just tried to maintain a good pace for as long as I could and then I had to slow things down when the running became really difficult. Along the course, especially when it was a real struggle, I thought about stopping and calling it a day. Yet, …

The 2011 Boston Marathon got underway at 9:17 a.m. when the first wheelchair racers crossed the start line in Hopkinton. The elite men and women start at 9:32 and 10 a.m., followed by three waves of qualified and charity runners. We also have live coverage for you from the hills of Newton, as Local Editor Melanie Graham has set up shop on the side of Commonwealth Avenue ready to update readers with photos, video and info from the route.  Check Newton Patch throughout the day for coverage of the marathon, including updates on local runners. 

Name: Kristine Brazin Age: 36 Bib number: 11601  Village: Newton Upper Falls Charity/Organization: Donate Life New England marathon team -- Q. Why did you decide to run for Donate Life New England?A. The popularity of the Boston Marathon provides an excellent opportunity to raise awareness for organ and tissue donation by representing Donate Life throughout the race. Currently, the number of people waiting for lifesaving transplants far outweighs the available organs and tissues given by donors, such that approximately 20 people die each day waiting for a transplant. The majority of us have …

The Boston Marathon symbolizes many different things: springtime, sportsmanship, strength, charity, endurance, history...the list goes on. It also means a day without much travel -- at least for Newton residents. As some of you seasoned Boston Marathon veterans know, two major roads in Newton will be shut down for most of the day Monday (Commonwealth Avenue and Washington Street). Below is a list of road closures as well as changes to MBTA bus and train routes: Roads in Newton Washington Street from the Wellesley Line (Rte. 16) to Commonwealth Avenue (Rte. 30) will be closed from around 9 a.m…

Runners for Project Hope, a Roxbury-based service agency that works to lift families out of poverty, have had plenty of challenges beyond raising more than $70,000 for their cause. In addition to training during one of the worst winters in recent memory, the 20 team members have faced injuries ranging from stress fractures to pneumonia. Nonetheless, they say that they're eager to tackle Heartbreak Hill this Patriots Day.  

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program is one of the many groups that runs along the Boston Marathon's course prior to the official race on Patriots' Day. The group's 162 runners raise money to fund blood-related cancer research and train together on Saturdays. Do you have an interesting story about a person or group training for the Boston Marathon? We want to hear their stories. Email tips to Melanie.Graham@patch.com