With the Boston Marathon now underway, Mr. MORECAST dusts off the old running shoes and looks into how weather has affected previous races, as well as what you can expect to see for the rest of this year’s run.
Notable Marathon Weather
The famous saying “If you don’t like the weather in New England now, just wait a few minutes.” by Mark Twain certainly applies to past Boston Marathons. The warmest temperature reported during the marathon was 100 degrees F in 1905, according to the Boston Globe. At the other extreme, the marathon has observed snow 5 times, the last time being in 1967, when snow squalls were found during the first 5 miles of the race.
Let’s take a look at a couple of Boston Marathons that featured significantly faster or slower finishing times and see how the weather impacted these races.
In 2011, Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya set a new course record of 2:03:02, crushing the previous course record by almost 3 minutes. Additionally, this was recorded as the fastest marathon time up to that point. The weather conditions during marathon time on this day featured temperatures in the upper 40s and lower 50s, a low humidity of 30-40%, and a helping west wind at the runners’ backs, gusting in excess of 25 mph. “Since the Boston course runs generally in a west to east direction, any wind that blows with a westerly component will help carry the momentum of a runner forward allowing for a greater chance that the runner will acquire a faster pace” says MORECAST meteorologist and Boston Marathon participant Erik Pindrock. Erik adds “Many competitive runners will track weather parameters like temperature, humidity, and wind religiously leading up to a race.”
At the other end of the spectrum, 2007’s winner, Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, scored his third Boston Marathon victory with a time of 2:14:13. Of course this is an impressive marathon time, but it was Robert’s slowest Boston Marathon time by over 4 minutes. Also to note, winning Boston Marathon times hadn’t routinely been this slow since the 1970s. The weather conditions during marathon time on this day featured temperatures near 50 degrees, light rain, and an easterly wind gusting upwards of 35 mph into the runners’ faces. Marathon runners train for months and years to prepare for these milestone events, but Mother Nature will always have the final say on race day.
This Year’s Forecast
High pressure will dominate through the morning with tranquil conditions and some sunshine for the rest of the race. The temperature around start time was in the lower 60’s and will continue to rise as the race progresses into the late morning. In the early afternoon, as many runners approach the city of Boston and encounter more of a maritime influence, winds will switch to the northeast and east, a headwind but a refreshingly cool one that could actually drop temperatures a few degrees back into the upper 50’s.
Boston Marathon Overview
The Boston Marathon Course (pictured above) runs from Hopkinton to Boston, Massachusetts, a distance of 26.2 miles.
The Boston Marathon takes place each year on Patriots’ Day, usually the 3rd Monday of April. Patriots’ Day commemorates the Battle of Concord and Lexington during the American Revolutionary War. This year, Patriots’ Day 2016 will take place on Monday, April 18th. Schools, banks, and most businesses are closed, and some of the world’s best runners will compete in The Boston Marathon from Hopkinton, MA to Boston, MA, on a 26.2 mile journey. The Elite Womens’ wave kicks off at 9:32 AM ET and the Elite Mens’ wave will start at 10:00 AM ET.
Q&A with MORECAST meteorologist and 2016 Boston Marathoner Erik Pindrock
1). What are ideal running weather conditions for you?
- The ideal running conditions for me are temperatures in the 50s with a humidity of about 30-50% and a light tailwind.
2). What has been the worst running conditions you experienced in the past?
- One of the more memorable running experiences I have had is the first marathon I ever ran which was in rural central Pennsylvania on Labor Day weekend in 2014. It was a cloudy, muggy morning as myself and a few hundred other runners lined up at the start. Less than a minute before the starting gun went off, the skies opened up with a moderate to heavy rain. The rain continued for over an hour before coming to an end, however, my clothes were soaked and heavy with water weight and I had several blisters on my feet among other annoyances. And I still had about two more hours of running to do!
3). What time are you aiming for in the marathon?
- There will be a smile on my face and a huge grunt of joy if I can cross the finish line under 3 hours.
If you want to follow MORECAST Meteorologist Erik Pindrock as he runs the 2016 Boston Marathon, click here during the marathon and search for bib number 4732.