If you’ve ever had to rely on the Boston College branch of the MBTA’s Green Line, then you understand just how painfully slow it can be.
The B Line has more aboveground stops than any other branch of the Green Line, and it’s constantly delayed by people struggling with their money and CharlieCards as they try to pay their fares on the usually packed train.
And that’s exactly why some local runners believed they could outrun it.
RunKeeper and The Boston Calendar organized the event called “Outrun the Green Line,” and Michael Ravert, Phil Connaughton, Matt Wilson and John Sullivan took off from Boston College on Friday to try to beat the T to Blandford Street. Ravert, Connaughton and Wilson all succeeded, but it was close. Ravert was the fastest, running the 4.1 miles in 24:08, while the T clocked in at 24:49.
“That was closer than I thought it was going to be,” Connaughton (24:10) told Runner’s World. “They kept pulling away, so we were nervous. But we won, so that feels good.”
The B Line got off to a good start and held a big lead through much of Brighton. The runners started to gain on it through Allston, and a lucky red light that stopped the T on Commonwealth Avenue allowed the three leading runners to pull ahead.
While you likely could outwalk the B Line along Comm. Ave. during rush hour, it’s actually faster than it gets credit for. It averages 7.8 mph aboveground (which is faster than the C Line’s 6.9 mph), so it usually will get you to your destination faster than your feet. For experienced runners, however, it’s a breeze, as it’s only a 7:41-mile pace.
Photo via Twitter/@JesseADugas
