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As snow descends upon us yet again, how will more than 200 running zealots navigate 15-plus miles early Sunday morning? That's what was on the mind of race director Jim Gerweck of Norwalk, after Thursdays messy weather wiped out a training day for Boston Marathon runners.[breakhere]
The final leg of the Boston Buildup Series, a 25-kilometer run, is scheduled to begin Sunday at 9 a.m. at Norwalks Silvermine School. Bad weather is one of the charms of the series, which begins with a 10-kilometer race on the weekend after New Years Day. Runners never know what kind of weather theyll get, which is actually useful in preparing for the Boston Marathon. Race day in Boston in mid-April is always a crapshoot.
Today's weather reminds me of the worst conditions we ever had for a Buildup race, the '99 25k, Gerweck said Thursday. It was in the upper 30s at the start, and began raining about half an hour into the race. The roads were flooded, and by the end everyone was soaked and frozen. The winner, Ed Parrot, looked ready to die at the finish. He was this close to hypothermia. Ever since, I've carried a couple of Mylar space blankets that I pick up after marathons at the finish. Hopefully, we won't have a repeat of that this year.
There were 218 finishers last year --in, sunny, dry, 58-degree weather--and Gerweck expects a similar number for Sundays race. Adam Mulia of Brooklyn won the mens race in 2009, while Tina Senft of Groton won the womens division.
For more race information, log on to www.clubct.org
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