Renato Canova wrote:
Every opinion can be respectable, but not the opinion that the advantage could be of more than 3 minutes. You start with the idea that Boston can penalize top runners of about 2:00. But we have many examples this is not true.
Where did Joan Benoit run 2:22, in a not windy day ?
I disagree Renato. 3-4 minutes is a good estimate. It put Mutai at 2:06-2:07 at Boston on a normal day and 2:04-2:05 at Berlin, Amsterdam, or Rotterdam.
Joanie best loop marathon was 2:26:00 in Sept of 1982, Nike OTC Eugene Oregon. Flat and fast course. The next Spring, at Boston, she ran 2:22:43, with a strong wind at her back.
Here are some Boston Marathon historical stats for you Renato.
1975 1) 2:09:55, 22) 2:19:58, 114) 2:30:00, 842) 2:59:15
1976 1) 2:20:19, 18) 2:30:31, 77) 2:38:55, 416) 3:00:01
1977 1) 2:14:46, 8) 2:19:48, 58) 2:29:56, 230) 2:41:44, 932) 3:02:24
1978 1) 2:10:13, 33) 2:20:03, 161, 2:30:04, 2430) 3:07:25
1979 1) 2:09:27, 53) 2:19:53, 131) 2:25:01, 3032) 3:00:24
1980 1) 2:12:11, 15) 2:19:46, 475) 2:42:24, 1232) 2:55:45
1981 1) 2:09:26, 32) 2:16:34, 326) 2:30:50, 527) 2:35:32
1982 1) 2:08:52, 23) 2:20:00, 156) 2:29:59, 2027) 3:00:00
1983 1) 2:09:00, 83) 2:19:51, 303) 2:29:41, 789) 2:40:00, 2588) 3:00:00
1984 1) 2:10:34, 25) 2:19:52, 194) 2:29:59, 2121) 2:58:35
1985 1) 2:14:05, 35) 2:31:15, 197) 2:42:10, 901) 3:00:00
1986 1) 2:07:51, 17) 2:19:19, 74) 2:30:33, 1227) 3:00:34
1987 1) 2:11:50, 19) 2:19:19, 71) 2:29:49, 2304) 3:08:46
1988 1) 2:08:43, 28) 2:18:17, 110) 2:30:05, 1558) 3:00:00
1983 Boston
1. G. Meyer, MA 2:09:00
2. R. Tabb, OR 2:09:31
3. B. Durden, GA 2:09:57
4. E. Mendoza, AZ 2:10:06
5. C. Bunyan, IL 2:10:54
6. D. Edge, Canada 2:11:03
7. M. Layman, WA 2:11:24
8. D. Schlesinger, MA 2:11:36
9. J. Wells, OR 2:11:42
10. B. Rodgers, MA 2:11:58
11. D. Hinz, MI 2:12:05
13. D. MacDonald, CA 2:12:49
14. B. Coates, PA 2:13:02
15. D. Gordon, OR 2:13:11
16. H. Schulz, CA 2:13:37
17. D. Rinde, CA 2:13:48
18. R. Sayre, OR 2:13:49
19. G. Vega, NY 2:14:01
20. K. McCarey, CA 2:14:09
21. T. Fleming, NJ 2:14:14
22. C. Law, NC 2:14:21
23. D. Matthews, GA 2:14:46
24. T. Shibutani, Japan 2:15:12
25. D. Patterson, PA 2:15:20
26. J. Dimick, VT 2:15:23
27. B. Allen, CO 2:15:36
28. E. Castellanou, Venezuela 2:15:40
29. L. Barthlow, MA 2:15:43
30. M. Mesler, MI 2:15:44
31. M. Pinocci, CA 2:15:50
32. P. Cummings, UT 2:16:05
33. J. Hope, CA 2:16:10
34. J. Anderson, OR 2:16:19
35. R. Serna, CA 2:16:26
36. J. Thomas, MA 2:16:28
37. F. Stonecipher, MO 2:16:35
38. A. Azocar, Venezuela 2:16:38
39. S. Molnar, PA 2:16:41
40. M. Patterson, PA 2:16:45
41. B. Hensley, CT 2:16:50
42. J. Metcalf, OK 2:17:02
43. R. Hagemann, TX 2:17:05
44. F. Torneden, KS 2:17:08
45. A. Cendejas, CA 2:17:15
46. P. Friedman, NY 2:17:17
47. D. Ryberg, NC 2:17:18
48. G. Fanelli, PA 2:17:29
49. A. Treffinger, PA 2:17:30
50. R. Fritzke, CA 2:17:31
...
56. G. Tuttle, CA 2:17:40
...
77. T. Maxwell, CA 2:19:13
...
83. T. Ratcliffe, MA 2:19:51