Interview: Rachel Hannah talks injury, marathon training and her goal to PB in Boston

Canada’s only runner in the Boston Marathon elite field (as per the BAA official list) for the 2017 edition of the race is in high spirits two days out from the marathon.

Rachel Hannah’s winter leading up to Boston was less than ideal as the 30-year-old Toronto athlete was dealing with a foot injury. Though she had to adjust her training approach this winter, now, she is in Boston and says she’s ready to set a new PB. Her best in the marathon currently stands at 2:32:09. 

This will be Hannah’s first time in Boston and her first time running a world marathon major, period. That, she says, has been a completely new experience so far in her career. On Thursday, she gave herself a big confidence booster by running the final 10 miles of the course so as to help with visualization and bring herself in for a strong finish come Monday. 

Hannah has also represented Canada at the Pan Am Games in 2015 shortly after making her marathon debut. Then, she ran the Toronto course in front of her hometown crowd to win herself a bronze medal. 

While many show up in Boston expecting a tough course (Heartbreak Hill and the course elevation change together have a reputation for battering the legs of marathon veterans), Hannah believes that the brutally difficult course and less than ideal heat conditions at Pan Ams will remain her hardest race. 

On race weekend, the runner believes that her strength work will also pay off. For full details, check out her interview above. 

The elite women’s field starts at 9:32 a.m. on Monday morning. 

Useful Canadian Running content for running the 2017 Boston Marathon

– Complete 2017 Boston Marathon coverage
– Course preview, race-specific tips and suggestions
– Boston Marathon jackets through the years
– A beginner’s guide to America’s greatest race
– Pre-race workout with Rejean Chiasson
– The excitement behind running Boston for the very first time
– Eric Gillis out of the 2017 Boston Marathon