Posted: April 10, 2007

Athletics (RRW): Boston Marathon Likely To Be Cold With Showers Possible

From David Monti © 2007 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com Early forecasts indicate that the 111th Boston Marathon, set for Monday, April 16, is likely to be cold and possibly accompanied by rain showers. According to the website Weather.com, the low temperature for the day will be 38°F (3°C) and the high will be 50°F (10°C). There is also a 30% chance of rain. Because the race now starts earlier in the day (9:35 a.m. for the elite women, 10:00 a.m. for the elite men and the first wave of the mass race, and 10:30 a.m. for the second wave of the mass race), athletes are likely to be running in temperatures well below the predicted high for the day. The race formerly began at noon, but changed to a morning start this year. In addition, the forecast is calling for rain the night before the race which could slicken the roads from the start in Hopkinton to the finish in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood. Two of the last three editions of the Boston Marathon were held in unusually warm conditions. In 2004, the race was held in record heat, with the mercury hitting 86°F (30°C), according to the website WeatherUnderground.com, which tracks historical weather data. The 2005 edition was also warm, with a high temperature of 66°F (18°C). Last year, the weather was more typical for New England in mid-April with temperatures ranging from a morning low of 43°F (6°C) and an afternoon high of 53°F (12°C). Because the Boston race is held on a point-to-point course which runs from west to east towards the Atlantic Ocean, the wind is often an important factor affecting the race. The winds are predicted to be from the east at 15 MPH (24 KPH), which would be against the runners. In 1994, the runners were helped by a strong westerly wind which allowed the first seven men to break the 2:09 barrier, including winner Coamas Ndeti whose 2:07:15 stood as the course record until last year. Monday's Boston Marathon kicks off the second year of the first World Marathon Majors series. Defending men's champion and course record holder, Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot of Kenya, and last year's runner-up, Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia, are atop the men's and women's leader boards with 50 and 40 points, respectively. They will both be competing in Boston. The series concludes at the ING New York City Marathon on Nov. 4, where the top male and female point scorers will receive $500,000 each, the largest single guaranteed cash prize in all of athletics. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest