Anoush Arakelian is a runner, coach, Med Tech professional, and lifelong Bostonian gearing up to complete her ninth straight Boston Marathon. She’s coached everyone from first-timers to seasoned racers, always with the same goal: help people find joy in the work, and maybe surprise themselves along the way. With 17 marathons behind her, she’s living proof that leading with this mindset works.

We caught up with Anoush after she took our Boston HiFi performance sock for a jaunt around the neighborhood to talk training tips, marathon mindset, and what keeps her coming back to the Boston Marathon year after year.

Photography by Justin Britton

 

This is your ninth consecutive Boston Marathon—a remarkable feat. What keeps you coming back to this race year after year?

There’s nothing like Boston. The energy, the crowd support, the history—it’s electric. My family and friends live in the suburbs of Boston, and the race passes many of their homes, which makes it exciting and personal. My family keeps me coming back each year. They have been there every single race in multiple spots, cheering me on. I think qualifying the first year was so exciting for all of us, and now it has become one of our favorite family traditions each year.

If 9th-time Boston Marathon Anoush could talk to 1st-time Boston Marathon Anoush, what would she say?

I would tell her to relax and have fun. Spring marathons are so fickle because you can train and train and run through all this cold weather, only to have your heart broken by an 80-degree day or torrential downpours. The Boston Marathon is never about PRing to me anymore; it's truly a victory lap with my family by my side.

As a Boston native and coach, how does the city influence running culture?

Boston breathes running. Whether it’s runners lacing up on the Charles at dawn, the groups of charities lining Heartbreak Hill every weekend, or the crowds in Back Bay race weekend, the city lives and breathes this sport. It’s not just a hobby here, it’s a tradition, a community, a shared identity. As a coach, that spirit is contagious. 

What's an absolute must-eat or must-drink post-Marathon?

An IPA at Abe & Louie’s. I have gone every single year after I finish and grab a Sip of Sunshine on tap. There is nothing like it! Then I stop at Life Alive to get refueled from my fiancé’s menu!

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