Boston Marathon Forecast: Looking Ideal For Race Day
The news couldn't be much better! The weather forecast remains unchanged for Marathon Monday. Why mess with perfection! At this point the only concern would be temperatures climbing into 60s during the afternoon, a bit warmer than most runners would like, but nothing like the 85-90 degrees of two years ago. Also, still a close call as to whether a sea breeze will develop in Boston in the afternoon…if it did, it would be very weak and only bring slightly cooler air (50s) to the final mile or so of the course. Otherwise, tons of sunshine with a tail wind at times and a cross-wind at other times as the runners progress along the race route. The wind should not exceed 10-15 mph. It is going to be a terrific day for runners and spectators!
Sunrise in Hopkinton…The sky will be mainly clear and it will be chilly early in the AM… 30-35 frosty degrees with very little wind.
9am in Hopkinton…Race time! The first wave about to head off on their journey…very pleasant, sunny sky, temperatures rising into the 40s, light southwest breeze.
11am in Hopkinton…As the last wave of runners prepares for departure, there will be no weather issues…in fact, conditions will be just about ideal, just a tad on the warm side. Sunny & serene, temperatures 50-55 degrees. Wind will be light, 5-15mph out of the south-southwest (a tail/cross breeze).
The same conditions will exist in Boston at 11am, as the Red Sox get underway at Fenway. Couldn't pick a better day to be at the ball park!
1pm, on the course…Lots of sunshine, perhaps some thin, wispy clouds…Temperatures from Framingham through Wellesley will be mild, ticking a degree or two higher each hour and now reaching closer to 60. South to southwest winds continue at 5-15mph. Closer to Boston, a southeasterly breeze up to 10-15 mph is probable keeping temperatures slightly lower in the middle 50s near the finish line.
3pm, on the course…Lots of runners coming down Boylston Street at this hour under nearly ideal conditions. Inland, temperatures will soar into the middle 60s, a bit too warm for most. At this hour, most of the runners will be in or near Boston where a southerly breeze of 10-15 mph is most likely. Temperatures should be close to or just over 60 unless more of a southeasterly wind blows which would make it a bit cooler in the 50s at the finish line. Sunshine will linger as the sky displays a few wispy clouds.
If you're going to run 26.2 miles, you can't ask for much better weather than this! The only tweaking of this forecast would involve a slightly different wind direction near Boston.
GOOD LUCK to all of the runners!
