The sound of puddles being stepped in echo Boylston Street as runners complete the last stretch of the marathon. You can see the pain, joy, and determination within the runners and the sound of spectators cheering them on as they conquer the last .2 of a mile to the finish line.
It is fair to say that the 2018 Marathon will go down in the books as the worst weather conditions for the Boston Marathon, but it will also be remembered as the first time since 1985 that a U.S. woman won the Boston Marathon. Two major events that won’t be forgotten.
This was certainly a wet marathon. I don’t mean like a light sprinkle; I mean downpours with head winds around 40 mph. Being the die hard marathon supporter that I am, I was out at the finish line at 8:30. The weather was tolerable, but as crowds accumulated and time went on, the weather got worse. Let me tell you that standing outside with torrential downpour, headwinds around 40 mph, and not being able to feel your toes is not fun. However, I could only imagine how the runners felt. Runners were doing anything and everything possible to stay as dry as they could prior to the race and during the race. I saw runners that tied plastic bags around their shoes to keep their shoes dry before running, and other runners that made arm covers out of trash bags. There were all sorts of creative way runners stayed as dry as they could, given the weather conditions.
Due to the weather, a majority of the runners’ times were 30 min slower than normal, including the elite runners. A total of twenty five elite runners dropped out mid race due to the affect the weather conditions had on their bodies. The weather really impacted the runners both prior to starting and during the race, but all the more reason to cheer them on, even if that meant losing your voice because they were doing something that so many people only dream about.
For me personally this marathon was really personable, as it usually is an every year thing for my families and friends. My mom was running in the marathon. Being able to see my mom complete a goal of hers was really special. Growing up in the city and going to the marathon every year was always exciting, but to have someone who I aspire to be like when I’m older complete such an amazing accomplishment is truly special. Also that fact that she completed it in such horrendous weather and still looked like she could run beyond 26.2 miles is pretty awesome.
It is fair to say that the 2018 Boston Marathon certainly won’t be forgotten.