Sports
Project Boston 130 Shares Inside Stories of Iconic Marathon
Júnior Double's book compiles the journeys of 45 runners, and Ed Silva recounts the freezing ordeal of the 2018 race.
The book Project Boston 130 brings together the journeys of 45 athletes at different stages of chasing their Boston Marathon dream. Júnior Double and Ed Silva discuss how the project came to life and look back at the challenges of tackling the race in extreme weather.
The mystique surrounding the Boston Marathon inspires thousands of amateur and elite runners each year to chase a coveted qualifying time or experience crossing the legendary finish line on Boylston Street. This journey of dedication, setbacks, and triumphs is chronicled in detail in the book Projeto Boston 130, created by Júnior Double.
The idea for the book stemmed from the author's own journey. He planned to run the historic 130th edition of the marathon, but faced health setbacks and struggled to balance high mileage with speed work. To capture the full scope of this shared challenge, the project brought together 45 figures from the running world, featuring accounts from names like Marcos Paulo, Jacques, Michel, and Carlos Gueiros of Radar Stemma.
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From Hopefuls to 15-Time Veterans
The book is structured into modules reflecting runners' varying relationships with the race. At one end are the self-described 'addicts' who have run Boston 9, 10, or even 15 times. At the other are stories of athletes who spent years chasing a qualifying time—like Júnior himself, who took four years, and others who fought for up to eight—alongside runners still training for their first qualifier.
The book's goal is to showcase the marathon from multiple angles: the euphoria of those who return year after year, the resilience of those who persevered through repeated attempts to qualify, and the grit of those still dreaming of the starting line in Hopkinton.
A Test of Survival in the 2018 Storm
Reflecting on his time on the course, Ed Silva recalled running the iconic 2018 edition, infamous for torrential rain, ferocious winds, and near-freezing temperatures. The conditions were so brutal that many elite and amateur runners dropped out, with competitors ducking into roadside coffee shops to stave off hypothermia.
To finish the 26.2 miles, Silva relied on emergency space blankets handed out at medical tents along the route. After repeatedly stopping due to the intense cold, he decided to tie the thermal foil around his body while running, only taking it off in the final stretch just before spotting the finish line.
Among the memories shared from that brutal day is the sight of runners wearing plastic trash bags to block the freezing wind, including his friend Alexandre Basso ('the Swiss'), who is also featured in the book. Despite the severe conditions and missing out on the usual warmth of the cheering crowds in 2018, the experience left Silva eager to return to Boston under normal conditions to feel the race's true energy.
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