Weather forecast looks a little better today. Headwind may instead be a crosswind or slight tailwind. Temp 15 degrees or so warmer than last year with moderate rains. Not great conditions for comfort or PR, but not historically bad like last year.

There are big tents in the village. Get there early if you want to find a place to sit. Otherwise you stand. Time spent in village depends on your wave and arrival time. Bring extra clothes (and possibly shoes if ground wet) to wear until start.

Marathons are supposed to be hard, as you know as a qualifier. Don’t sweat the conditions or worry much about a PR. Run a smart race with plenty in the tank for the last five miles. Despite all the good runners that show up, there is a lot of separation at the end based on how smart people are with the strategy.

Don’t plan on waiting to get cold weather or rain gear at the expo. They were sold out of everything by mid day on Saturday last year.

The tents were extremely muddy. I wished I had bought something better to sit on. Although I expect it won’t be as bad since rain doesn’t start until Sunday night late.

Nice things to have for Monday if it's similar to last year: poncho or other waterproof top. Throwaway warm clothes, they get collected for donation. Something disposable to help keep warm/sit on; airline blanket, old towel, etc, Throwaway shoes, even inside the tents it was very muddy last year. If there is a headwind with rain, clear glasses are nice, work a bit better than a hat for me.

I wore, and I kid you not, seven (7) layers of clothing last year, and I'm a hardy, weathered Canadian who quite enjoys running in the rain and in cool temps!

The problem, if you can call it that, is the waiting around to start up by the school. There's not much in the way of shelter and it gets really muddy when the weather is foul. Knowing that on a windy day with heavy rains, the odds of staying warm and dry are slim if you are not suitable equipped, plan accordingly. It's important to stay dry until you are generating your own heat out on course, so buy some extra-large heavy duty (clear, for the security people) plastic bags you can wear over top of all your run gear. Do not forget about your feet!! They must stay dry until it's go-time, so bag them up too!

I personally wore a few wicking base layers, then three items I felt I could peel off and discard one by one if I was starting to get overheated, then an outer wind/rain proof shell on my torso. My lower half was just a pair of full-leg length run tights and compression socks over top. I also wore a wool toque and simple latex gloves preventing wind chill numbed fingers to retain dexterity for zippers and so forth. I wore plastic bags on my feet until I was shuffling towards the start line, plus the large clear garbage bag over top of my seven layers of clothing. My plan was to ditch the garbage bag just before the start, but changed my mind as my wave got called forward. It actually stayed on until right around Wellesley! I was pretty comfortable the entire run and didn't suffer afterwards as my body cooled down, unlike (I think it was) three years ago, maybe four, when a cold front swept through just as I was through Brookline wearing just a tech t shirt and shorts. I got soaked stem to stern in the downpour, then got a bit hypothermic surprisingly quickly after the finish line in the cold, wet wind.

See you all on Monday!

Dave

I was prepared for the mud last year, but still surprised by how bad it was. Think a 3" deep, unavoidable mud moat circling each of the tents. You don't want to lug mud-covered shoes for 26 miles! My solution was to wear old shoes (and socks), and change just before the trek to the starting line. I also wore shoe covers over my race shoes until a couple of minutes before the start.

The tents will be crowded, wet, and possibly muddy inside, so I would bring something waterproof like a trash bag to sit on. You may have trouble finding enough space to sit when you get there unless you are in wave 1. Definitely bring warm (disposable) clothes, since you will probably have a while to wait before the start. I wore my rain gear to the starting line, and took it off just before the gun.

ETA: also, you may want to skip the gear check if your hotel is nearby or family/friends can get you dry clothes at the finish. The closest I got to hypothermia last year was while waiting until 45 minutes after finishing to get my clothes from bag check. I would have been much better off heading straight to the T to get back to the hotel.

I'll buck the trend of layers here and say I was totally fine running in a sleeveless tri top, short tights, arm warmers, and gloves. I think it depends on your goals & speed. I crossed on about 2:47 and never felt cold.

I stayed very warm pre race though. Check out Amazon for waterproof throwaway gear and wear it to the starting coral. Consider throwaway shoes and keep the race ones dry. Get plastic shoe covers either way to stay dry and warm in the village. Get a spot in the tent, lay down a cheap foil blanket and just relax.

Weather won't be as bad as last year even with today's worst forecasts, but either way it's still Boston so Sunday & Tuesday will be perfect marathon days. Enjoy it!

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Too old to go pro but doing it anyway
http://instagram.com/tgarvey4

I am thinking something along the lines of the following:

I am planning to race in a singlet and shorts. I'll likely wear a throw-away long sleeve tech shirt, maybe start running in it and chucking it when I get warm. I don't currently own any sweat pants I care to discard but maybe I'll suck it up and toss away one pair. Thinking of bringing a dead pair of running shoes and socks to wear at the village, and bring my race shoes and socks in a plastic bag, thus getting rid of a dead pair of shoes.

I'll probably also bring some trash bags to wear as a rain shield, at least in the village and maybe for the start of the race until I get to generating my own heat.

I am starting in wave 1 corral 5, and hoping for a sub-3 day (who knows with the weather, it might end up being a "just finish in whatever time" day).

I raced last year - it was unbelievably cold at the start. The second set of clothes saved me - especially the shoes. They had big bins for runners to leave clothes in. I think they clean the gear and donate it all.

A couple of other ideas:

• Lots of people ere wearing the $2 plastic rain capes (really). The first part of the race is downhill and so you don't get warm right away. It was nice to start in the cape and then tear it off when I got warm
• Same with gloves - just something cheap that you can throw away. Spectators were giving out socks on the course for people to put on their hands.
• I saw some people in shower caps...innovative

The town completely sold out of this gear around the race venue - buy it before you go. You'll sleep better knowing you have it. Also don't forget you made need more calories when its cold. I doubled my normal intake.

Go old school with older throwaway warm clothes and a trash bag. Seriously. I've done it in previous years when it was a wet and chilly day for Boston to stay warm and dry.

I used to work with a guy who lived in Hopkinton near the start and he said his kids would come home with tons of sweatshirts etc that people had tossed just before the start.

Good luck on Monday!

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"You can never win or lose if you don't run the race." - Richard Butler

Go to Home depot (one in Southie) and get a tarp. Lay out on the ground and offer to others (make a few friends). Pick up a blow-up pool float as a cheap air mattress to get some cushion and stay off the cold ground (on the tarp). If you get on some of the earlier buses you shouldn't have an issue staking out a place under the large tents. Otherwise perhaps plan on a good waterproof situation you can create yourself. As many other say, have a good stash of toss/donation clothes to wear while waiting around and perhaps even a set of shoes (and switch to race shoes before walking from the school down to Hopkinton).

Have a great day and don't go out like an asshole, the first few miles are deceiving.

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________________________________________________________
Taylor Rogers

2024: IM Hamburg

The times I ran Boston, there was a running shop that rented a tour type of bus, and you could buy a spot on it. It drove out to the start and you could stay on the bus, it had it's own bathroom. I forget how much it cost, but it was the only way to go.

Just "tuck in behind some elite marathoners" and get on with it. #rule5

This year looks a bit warmer than last year...so keep that in mind. Here is what saved me;
1) wore extra running shoes and socks to the start. Once I left the field and got to the coral I changed them and threw the old ones out. There were instantly wet again but at least not caked in mud
2) I wore an extra layer too long during the race itself. Finally when i took it off, I was sweaty and instantly got cold.
3) We stayed at the Westin right by the finish line...I told my wife when I finished to head right back to the hotel and don't wait for me. I crossed the finish line, grabbed a blanket and walked back. It was a short walk but I was almost hypothermic by the time I got to hotel, so keep that in mind. I get cold instantly after races on a good day, so I knew waiting at the finish to find anyone would be very hard.

Best of luck....have fun. I was signed up but tore meniscus in January so won't be racing.....

Only a true badass could ever consider pulling that off even in a smaller race like oh I dunno say the Cowtown. Gonna have to find a plan B...

I plan to load up on throwaway clothes and a pair of throwaway shoes before the race. I'm still debating what to wear during the race. Right now, I'm thinking merino t-shirt with arm warmers to start, covered by a very light windbreaker that's not a true raincoat. Cold weather hat and gloves. Will decide whether to wear shorts or tights on the morning of the race. I'm coming from Hawaii, and I hate being cold, so I figure I need stuff that I can peel off and toss during the race if I get too warm. If it looks like it's going to be extra cold, I will wear a long-sleeve merino base layer, too.

I wore a similar outfit (with shorts) during a similarly cold and pouring rain 20-mile training run while in Denver last October, and I felt good the whole time.

The tents at the athletes village were a nice enough shelter with all the people crowded inside.
The things i recommend:
Wear a true rain resistant jacket (not the windblock kind) but the thicker harder plastic kind like the yellow ones that they wear on the docks. Try to find one that fits somewhat snug to avoid being a complete sail.
Wear crappy shoes to the Athletes village and wrap your feet with garbage bags.
Pack your running shoes with dry wool socks and change right before you start the walk down to the start line. Your feet will get unavoidably soaked but the wool socks helped me not get blisters
Don't wear a ton of layers. I wore several layers that just got soaked right away and made it heavy and miserable the first few miles. Go with maybe a long sleeve tech and a nice Tank top. Bottoms i'd wear some thermal compression shorts and shorts over that or running tights. You're going to be soaked no matter what so having the extra clothes won't do much other than block the wind.
Wear a running hat.
Keep your phone with you and I wouldn't bother with the after race clothes pickup because that was the absolute worst part. I waited 45 minutes to get mine then you have to find a spot in the changing tent after another 15 minutes. Just have your family or whoever meetup right after and go to a bathroom somewhere.

Good luck

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Instagram or twitter me softly @xatefrogg

My thoughts from last year and plans for this year.
Prerace: packing my shoes and socks and putting them on just before the start was the best thing I did. I may bring a trash bag to sit on in the tents.

Attire: I had a rain jacket that zips and is form fitting, so I wore a tight base layer-UA metal, tech T over that and then the jacket. I had a hat , ear band, and glasses. By mid way I had dumped the ear band. The glasses kept my eyes dry, but I couldn't see for shit. I gave up all pacing thoughts partly b/c of the weather and mostly b/c I couldn't read my garmin anyway. I did not use a compression short and had some serious chaffing. There was not enough body glide in the world for me. I'm bring the undershorts this time and bought a new body glide cream that covers all the parts.

Post race: get the hell out of town if you can. I had a race spectator call my wife and we split. You'll get the classic post race mylar wrap.

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Brian
“Eat and Drink, spin the legs and you’re going to effin push (today).” A Howe

If you’re going to get cold in the athletes village, it will most likely be while you are waiting in line for the porta-potties, so do take warm discardable layers, including one that won’t soak through.

But here’s my best tip for your nervous bladder based on my experience in 2017 when I was in Corral 1, Wave 4 with all the other old-lady four-hour qualifiers.

The lines for bathrooms are extremely long in the athlete village, but non-existent at the parking lot very close to the start. So head over as soon as the wave ahead of you leaves (or early if you are in wave 1), you will see an entire corral of vacant restrooms just waiting for you. Go through two or three times, and then start your race confident that you’ve carbo-dumped as much as possible.

Good luck, have a great time!

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Sharon McN
@IronCharo
#TeamZoot
Clif Bar Pace Team 2003-2018

Just look at weather Sunday evening.
It’s changing by the hour ...........

Yep - there's a saying new englanders have about the weather: If you don't like it, wait a minute :)

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"The first virtue in a soldier is endurance of fatigue; courage is only the second virtue."
- Napoleon Bonaparte

I think they say this in literally every state

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https://membership.usatriathlon.org/...A2-BAD7-6137B629D9B7

I bought a $200 North Face Gore-Tex shell to wear on Monday just in case. This means it will probably be sunny and 65.

Right now, the forecast is saying 59 and raining at 10 am. 63 and raining at 2 pm. I’m hoping I’ll be okay with a windbreaker and merino T-shirt if that’s what happens.

Bring money. At the finish in 15 I was shivering uncontrollably next to a building vestibule. Finally remembered I had$20 in my back pocket. Score! I went into Panera and ordered everything I could extra hot.

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http://www.TriScottsdale.org

I'll disagree here if you're faster. I've run in the back of wave 1 and also in wave 2 in different years. The start line port-a-pot line is a killer and stressful if you think you're going to miss your start.

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Brian
“Eat and Drink, spin the legs and you’re going to effin push (today).” A Howe