By Chris Murphy, Globe Travel Staff

A love letter to Boston ... and Brookline, Newton, Wellesley, Natick, Framingham, Ashland, and Hopkinton.

Thank you for yesterday's gigantic exercise in good will. Starting with my running club, the Colonial Road Runners, which granted me a Marathon waiver, helped me train, and got me to the starting line.

Thank you to the extremely generous woman in Hopkinton who let me and my friends use the bathroom in her house as we schlepped to our corrals. To the runners I met from Dublin, Toronto, and Sao Paolo. To the bands, the drummers, and the guy who was playing the theme to "Jurassic Park" on his trumpet when I went by.

To the runners dressed as Batman and Robin, a giant cheeseburger (Go Big Sandwich!), cross-dressers, a British bobby, the man who ran in a tuxedo and black sneakers (did you propose to anyone?), and the runner with the inflatable Pesky Pole strapped to his head.

To the kids who blew bubbles, gave passing high fives, and offered Twizzlers, orange slices, Popsicles, and Kleenex. To my husband, John, who wrote Go Chris! on my shirt, and to everyone who thought the exclamation point was an "i" and yelled Go Chrisi - well, that was just sweet.

To the man who told me I better get going because his money was on me. To the baseball fans holding signs to inform runners that the Red Sox were ahead.

To the Wellesley College women with their screams and free kisses and the Boston College dudes slapping my hand, especially the one who told me to dig deep. To the two runners I saw who ran with prostheses, the brave man running with an oxygen tank on wheels behind him, and the two I saw running blindfolded (with guides) to raise money for the Perkins School for the Blind. 

To all the other charity runners.

To Santa Claus and the giant furry chicken who patted me on the back. To my friend Susan, who gave me a hug at Mile 15.

To the endless army of ever-gracious volunteers who must have been out there all day, you earned those jackets.

To the runners I saw supporting a woman who ran into trouble at Mile 25.

To my brother-in-law Matt who steadied me afterward and kept my legs moving around the Public Garden until my posse arrived with warm clothes.

To my boys, Rob and Ryan, who made me a lovely cheering sign.

To the police and State Troopers who kept the peace.

To the crews who are still cleaning up. To the friends, family, and co-workers who wished me well.

For every loud, messy, miserable, crazy, wonderful step of the way, it was a privilege.

Thank you.

What a day!!!

Personally, I could not have asked for better running weather. Not too cold, definitely not too hot. Just enough cloud cover to shield the sun, yet not completely block it out. All in all, the weather gods really set the tempo for a great race day.

I have to admit that after arriving in Hopkinton, I was a definitely chilly, which meant that I basically stayed bundled-up right up until I threw my gear bag in the bus. However, once the gun went off, I warmed right up.

While there was a slight headwind at times, I personally found this refreshing more than stifling. Additionally, the temperature throughout the race was such that when I passed by the water stations, I was grabbing Gatorade and water to hydrate, versus quench my thirst.

All of this meant that I was really able to focus on the run, versus my body, which in my opinion makes all the difference in world. What I mean here is that in my experience, my best races and times have always been the result of race day experiences where I’ve been able to successfully focus on what’s going on around me, versus what’s going on within me, mainly the physical discomfort of running 26.2 miles. Therefore instead of wondering where the next water station will be or how my knee is getting sore, I’m able to just soak up all that is great about the running the Boston Marathon. This includes, but is certainly not limited to, the cheers of everyone who lines the roads in Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, and Natick who are so key to setting the tone for those first 10 or so miles, the Wellesley College Scream Tunnel, everyone in Washington Square (particularly my mom, wife and son, who at 5 months old was watching his first marathon) and all the folks on the Kenmore Bridge, Comm Ave., and Boylston Street for that final push to the finish.

On a personal note, I have to thank the folks on the Kenmore Bridge, as I did start to really feel some pain just after mile 24 that I thought might just kill my race. The thought of getting over that last bridge was daunting, but hearing all that cheering just enabled me to block out the pain and really gave me what I needed for the final push to the finish line. Thank you!!!

I also had the good fortune of briefly running alongside Team Hoyt (Rick & Dick), which is always incredibly inspiring. I also saw at least two competitors with amputations who were easily running sub-seven minute splits…amazing! Seeing these kinds of scenes, as well as just being in the company of my fellow runners reminds me of how running, or even just watching, a marathon is inspiring on so many levels.

On a personal note, I had the good fortune of recording my best time since 2006 and in the process re-qualifying, which is always gratifying.

In closing, I just wanted to congratulate everyone on a great race and I hope to see you all again for the 114th running in 2010. Cheers!

Running with a foam cheeseburger around your waist is hard enough. Then come the catcalls.

"I got 'Nice buns!' and I got 'Where's the beef?'" explained John Koss, the 28-year-old Boston resident, who endured that and more R-rated banter thanks to a gigantic cheeseburger -- complete with lettuce, tomato, and onions -- strapped to his waist as he trekked the 113th Boston Marathon in 4 hours, 34 minutes, 29 seconds Monday.

Koss agreed to be a human toothpick for the local B.Good burger joints in order to raise money for the Run for Research foundation that benefits the American Liver Foundation.

"In a year like this, when donations were hard to come by, we looked for everything and B.Good was good enough to work with us," said Koss. "The challenge to me was to actually finish in this."

Running his second Boston Marathon was decidedly more difficult than the first (which he ran sans beef). The burger tutu didn't exactly weight him down, but it proved to be quite bulky, particularly in crowds.

Racers and supporters had a good time with Koss, who enjoyed the supports (and jabs) from the crowd.

"The kids, that's the best part, the kids' faces," said Koss. "I don't know if they have it any more but, Mayor McCheese, (I'm) kind of like the life-sized version of Mayor McCheese."

Weather.com pegged the temperature near Copley Plaza at 47 degrees when John Perham crossed the finish line of the Boston Marathon a little after 3:30 p.m. Monday. The website noted that, with 17 mph winds, it felt like 39 degrees, and fans along the course would argue that it felt even cooler on this late April date.

Not Perham. No, it felt more like a day at the beach for him. A resident of Newton's Upper Falls, Perham crossed the finish line sans shirt, but wearing a large smile that indicated he was in no rush to dig a T-shirt out of the pouch strapped to his waist.

No shirt, no problem.

"The first run I did, I did two miles in 15 degrees," explained Perham. "Sweat was pouring off me. I thought, 'Hey! It's cold outside, I should be letting the cool keep me cool.'"

Unless temperatures dip below the teens, Perham skips a shirt (and even then he only prefers one that's open in the front). You can convince him to run in some light pants, but only because of the perspiration that can build up there.

In his mind, the conditions for the 113th running of the Boston Marathon were ideal.

"This temperature, this is perfect," said Perham. "Perfect for running naked."

Running shirtless earned Perham plenty of comments, particularly from the ladies near Wellesley College. He said he kept his hands warm by throwing high-5s to anyone that would reciprocate along the route.

Of course, not wearing a shirt leaves a dilemma about wear to pin your bib number. Once again, not a concern for Perham.

"I haven't qualified in years," he said with a laugh.

George Braun wanted to spice up his wardrobe for the 100th running of the Boston Marathon in 1996, so the Jamaica Plain resident spanned the course in a top hat.

The following year he added a dress shirt. Soon after came some pants. Then he added a pair of suspenders. Ever since, he's been running in what amounts to a full tuxedo.

During the 113th running Monday, it might have been the perfect attire on a cool day.

"This is my 14th Boston," said Braun, who finished in 4 hours, 28 minutes, 8 seconds. "Today was fine. I ran it like this in 2005 and 2006 when it was 80 degrees out and that wasn't so good."

Braun, 55, thinks the strong headwinds slowed his time by about 15 minutes. But that's the only thing slowing him down. He doesn't plan to ditch the tuxedo getup any time soon.

"I've been going like this for a long time and everybody looks for me," said Bruan. "I can't stop now, that's the problem. Everyone is looking for me, so I gotta keep doing it."

His only fashion faux pas: We spotted dark sneakers, not dress shoes. Maybe next year.

It's tough to look good after running 26.2 miles, but that was the plan for a trio of locals at the 113th Boston Marathon.

Stacy Murphy of Walpole, Heather McKay of Wrentham, and Kathleen Kearnan of West Roxbury donned matching pink cowboy hats and pink tops for their trek from Hopkinton to Boston.

But the friends wanted to do more than just look good. They wanted to do good.

The trio helped raise money for the House of Possibilities, a respite home for families with children and young adults with special needs.

"We thought we'd look good while we ran," said Murphy as the group joked about each other craving attention on the run (they did take a moment to apply lip gloss before our cameras started rolling, but after a four-hour run, that could be forgiven). Their real goal was raising funds for their charity.

"It's a place where families can bring (special needs children)," said McKay. "They can get a break, a breath of fresh air, and rejuvenate."

Lauren Shaub was among the thousands crossing the Boston Marathon finish line almost an hour after Salina Kosgei and Deriba Merga won this year’s race in the women’s and men’s fields respectively. That doesn’t mean the glory of the experience is diluted.

“It’s the most humbling experience of my life and I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” the native of Reading, Penn. said. “There’s nothing more satisfying than sucking in the Boston Marathon.

“The crowd is everything. They pull you right in and they made the difference. It was amazing.”

Shaub’s finish time of 3:20 wasn’t far off from her desired time of 3:10, and the enthusiasm in her voice after finishing the 26.2-mile course was evident in any number of other runners.

“This is the greatest marathon in the world, and it’s an honor to be able to run in it,” said Mike Shalhoub, of Santa Barbara, Calif., who said his favorite memory from the day was not necessarily joining the other finishers along Boylston Street.

“I want to say crossing the finish line, but it’s really at the starting line,” he said. “Because it’s a lot of hard work to get there, and it’s just an experience.”

For San Diego’s Erin McManus, the chilly, windy conditions were less of a hindrance for a California runner than the stress fracture that she was dealing with, still managing to finish in 3:21.

“Best marathon by far,” she said. “Little chilly for a San Diego person, but very nice once you get running.”

If you're looking for compelling evidence that Boston Marathon crowds are a well of unequivocal support, it may come in the form of Jerry Knox.

Knox, a Los Angeles native, ran 26.2 miles in a Lakers jersey on the suggestion of his 11-year-old son, Alex. Expecting a negative reaction from the pro-Celtics crowd, Knox said he was surprised instead to receive hearty encouragement from fans along the route.

"I heard a lot of 'Kobe sucks' and 'Go Celtics,' but a lot of people said 'Go Lakers,'" he said. "Some people were saying, 'Go Lakers ... wait what did I just say?'"

When it comes to coming through under pressure, Patrick Harten has had quite the year.

A New York air traffic controller, Harten was the man who famously aided Captain Chesley Sullenberger and US Airways Flight 1549 into the Hudson River earlier this year. Today, Harten finished the Boston Marathon in 2:47, despite a gusty wind that did its best to hold up runners along the course.

“Great day, great race, great crowd,” Harten said.

While submitting his application for this year’s race, Harten requested bib No. 1549, to signify his part in this year’s most compelling story. It was a desire granted to him by race organizers.

“Flight 1549, that whole event was obviously a big part of my life,” he said. “So tying that into running, which is also a big part of my life, was very important to me.”

Check out the video at the top of this post for more from Harten.

Varitek connects. (Jim Davis / Globe Staff)

A loud batch of cheers went up from the finish line area with no runners in sight a short time ago.

The reason?

A message flashed on the giant TV screen alerting fans that Jason Varitek had hit a solo home run to put the Red Sox on top of the Orioles, 3-0, in the second inning.