And It Never Seems To Get Closer!

One of the landmarks at the Boston Marathon is the Citgo Sign. I understand that you can see it for a long way, and as a runner, since you know you will pass it, you tend to focus on it. I've been told that when you first see it, you start marking time until you pass it, but it often seems not to get any closer. It just sits out there and taunts you, then you finally pass it, with less than a mile to the finish.

Note: I've edited this post a bit since the original version. What impressed me during the race was how low the sign seemed when it first came into view. I also spoke to some other runners who said that the same kind of effect can happen when you make the final turn from Hereford St onto Boylston St. The finish is a significant distance away and if you look at it, it seems to approach painfully slowly. It seems best to just focus on putting one foot in front of the other.