"It was nice to get the crowd behind me," he said.
As the runners neared the end of the race, the large numbers of Harvard fans, including a tailgate around Cleveland Circle, helped distract the athletes from their pain.
"I was smiling for most of the last five miles," says James T. Platts '01, who is also a Crimson editor. "It was really a terrific way to finish."
When they crossed the finish line in Copley Square, runners were greeted with water and blankets.
Some said they only began to notice the afternoon's chill once they reached the end of the 26.2 mile course.
"I was a little blue when I got back," Holt said.
O'Donoghue said he was impressed that so many people had volunteered to greet runners when they finished.
"I just hugged both of the guys I ran with and limped over to get some water," he said. "It was total joy."