On Monday I watched the 111th Running of the Boston Marathon. Anyone watching the Weather Channel the last week observed a Nor’easter battering the east coast; a huge storm system reaching from Cuba to Maine. The pre-race forecast on Sunday for Monday’s race was grim. Temperatures were to be in the mid 30’s with winds up to 50 mph, predicted to be a headwind none the less!! Not exactly the weather you want to run 26.2 miles in. On race day, the Nor’easter was still pounding the East coast, there was coastal flooding, rain was pouring down, winds were reaching 20 and 30 mph.
In the face of the additional challenges courtesy of Mother Nature some 2,300 runners could not conjure the courage (or stupidity) to run in such conditions, leaving roughly 10% of the bib numbers unclaimed. For the vast majority of the 23,000+ runners, the horrible weather could have sent them home too, yet they ran. The reenactment of the battle of Lexington was cancelled, yet they ran. The reenactment of Paul Revere’s historic ride was cancelled, yet they ran. Many towns and neighborhoods lost power, roads were closed, school day’s were cancelled, yet they ran. Mother Nature, played kindly for about 2 1/2 hours at the start of the race, from about 10 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.: leaving the temperature mild in the 40’s, pausing the rain and severe wind for a bit. It was a short-lived respite and about 12:30 p.m., the ugly weather reared its head once more. Winds whirled, in fact that brutal head-wind showed up to make Heartbreak Hill and the end of the course even more challenging. Just for fun, the temperature started dropping severely as well. Inspiring; watching runners, particularly the non-elite runners, push through pain and swirling winds in extremely variable weather conditions that on race day added another surprise of temperatures that plummeted around 10 degrees during the race. There were a myriad of reasons to stop, yet they ran. So to all you volunteers, fans, support crews and runners, especially the age-groupers and charity runners, to all who finished the wild, wet 111th running of the Boston Marathon: I congratulate you. In addition to your medals, you will all have a badge of courage with a distinction for gumption, and a great story about how the April 2007 Nor’easter crushed the East Coast, yet you ran.
In the face of the additional challenges courtesy of Mother Nature some 2,300 runners could not conjure the courage (or stupidity) to run in such conditions, leaving roughly 10% of the bib numbers unclaimed. For the vast majority of the 23,000+ runners, the horrible weather could have sent them home too, yet they ran. The reenactment of the battle of Lexington was cancelled, yet they ran. The reenactment of Paul Revere’s historic ride was cancelled, yet they ran. Many towns and neighborhoods lost power, roads were closed, school day’s were cancelled, yet they ran. Mother Nature, played kindly for about 2 1/2 hours at the start of the race, from about 10 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.: leaving the temperature mild in the 40’s, pausing the rain and severe wind for a bit. It was a short-lived respite and about 12:30 p.m., the ugly weather reared its head once more. Winds whirled, in fact that brutal head-wind showed up to make Heartbreak Hill and the end of the course even more challenging. Just for fun, the temperature started dropping severely as well. Inspiring; watching runners, particularly the non-elite runners, push through pain and swirling winds in extremely variable weather conditions that on race day added another surprise of temperatures that plummeted around 10 degrees during the race. There were a myriad of reasons to stop, yet they ran. So to all you volunteers, fans, support crews and runners, especially the age-groupers and charity runners, to all who finished the wild, wet 111th running of the Boston Marathon: I congratulate you. In addition to your medals, you will all have a badge of courage with a distinction for gumption, and a great story about how the April 2007 Nor’easter crushed the East Coast, yet you ran.
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