Once In A (Marathon) Lifetime Conditions Forecast For Boston On Monday

A rabbit wouldn't feel the affect of the wind if someone's tucked behind.

Serious dumb question: is the air resistance (in front of you) less when the wind/air is going with you? I would guess so.

rojo wrote:

Unreal conditions in the forecast for Monday.

See our article here.

http://www.letsrun.com/2011/bostonweather-0416.php

Will the course record and possibly 2:03:59 fall?

AS Jk says in the article:

[quote]JK says:

" I'll tell you this - if Boston had rabbits and the field that is assembled for the 2011 London marathon was running with a time bonus on the line, I'd actually be a little surprised if someone didn't run the fastest marathon time ever recorded."

i think boston has at least as good a mens field as london this year.

mutai, gebremariam, cherkos, daba, mosop etc. these would, london has nothing on boston in the mens field this year.

Thanks for posting that rojo, I was wondering what happened to the thread I started. Great timing huh. I really think this could be a special day for Boston. Maybe it'll turn out to be nothing but I have a feeling a big course record is possible. Sub 2:04 may be a stretch but you never know. Wouldn't rule anything out.

Hoping to see some outrageous times.

I hope the women get the memo about the tail wind and don't jog the first 20 miles like some recent marathons.

JK of all people should have realized that Boston doesn't both with rabbits for a very simple reason -- the course is not record-eligible. No one gives a shit if someone runs under Haile's time there downhill with a hurricane at his back.

I hope they get a headwind and every one of the 20,000 idiots in that race suffers horribly. BQ! BQ! BQ! YAY! The race has become a jogger's delight. Let them experience the full joy of a point-to-point course in April.

Im shooting for an OT qualifier, if I run it Monday does it count?

It is what it ain't wrote:

No one gives a shit if someone runs under Haile's time there downhill with a hurricane at his back.

If a 2:06 guy suddenly gets a 2:03:58 on his CV, I'm pretty sure that's going to be worth something in appearance money in future races.

long sox wrote:

If a 2:06 guy suddenly gets a 2:03:58 on his CV, I'm pretty sure that's going to be worth something in appearance money in future races.

No doubt, but this would depend on how he placed. If three guys run under the world-record time and another couple break the old CR, it won't be worth much except to the winner.

fair enough wrote:

Im shooting for an OT qualifier, if I run it Monday does it count?

Yes it does. USATF is stupid at times but not that stupid to say times run at the Boston marathon don't count for OTrials.

platonicwabbits wrote:

A rabbit wouldn't feel the affect of the wind if someone's tucked behind.

Serious dumb question: is the air resistance (in front of you) less when the wind/air is going with you? I would guess so.

Of course, and if the wind speed prediction is accurate, the runners will still get cooled a bit by winds going slightly faster than they are...

It is what it ain't wrote:

JK of all people should have realized that Boston doesn't both with rabbits for a very simple reason -- the course is not record-eligible.

Hence, the word "if" ...

... if Boston had rabbits ... I'd actually be a little surprised if someone didn't run the fastest marathon time ever recorded.

"Fastest marathon time ever recorded" deliberately avoids saying "world record." Seeing as how the article says Boston isn't world record eligible in the very next sentence ...

It should be pointed out that even if there is a sub-2:03:59 clocking in Boston, it won't count as world record, as Boston isn't a record-eligible course given the fact that it is a point-to-point course.

... that somehow leads me to believe the letsrun folks do realize it isn't world record eligible.

It'll be fun watching runners trying to avoid having following runners blocking their tailwind.

if you are slow enough 20mph wind will feel like someone gently pushing on your back.

platonicwabbits wrote:

A rabbit wouldn't feel the affect of the wind if someone's tucked behind.

Even if that was true, rabbits would be paid to hit their splits as long as they could regardless of whether it was harder for them than the runners behind them. Come to think of it, rabbits are enlisted in a large part because it's usually harder to lead a race in any conditions, so they should already know they'll shoulder a little more work than the runners behind them anyway.

If the winner was to get a hefty bonus for a time faster than the world record, even though it wouldn't count as the record, rabbits would help by getting the fast pace underway and taking the burden of early pacemaking off the favorites. Even if the rabbits only made it to the half, the contenders would be locked in and have a better chance for a 2:03 than they would without rabbits, eh?

If records fall at Boston and they get the 15-25 mph tailwinds as the weather service says they will, how can those records count? There is no doubt a tailwind like that is a HUGE benefit, sure wish I was running this year! :-)

Kempanin is considered a legend for his 2:08 tailwind day. Take a look at his next couple bests.

rojo wrote:

Yes it does. USATF is stupid at times but not that stupid to say times run at the Boston marathon don't count for OTrials.

This year's Boston is precisely the reason only record-eligible courses should be allowed as OT qualifiers.

Kempanin is considered a legend for his US trials performance. His 2:08 was also a tailwind day.

It is hard to believe the course will allow for times people have mentioned, regardless of tailwind.

Good luck to everyone tomorrow.