Boston: cooler, chance of showers
Race week forecasts for the 130th Boston Marathon point to cooler conditions with several chances for showers, and runners are being reminded that the course’s late‑race climbs—most notably Heartbreak Hill—are the toughest miles. (wmur.com) (boston.com) (wcvb.com)
Boston Marathon week is shaping up cooler than the heat runners saw in Boston on Tuesday, with local forecasts calling for several shower chances before the April 20 race. (wcvb.com) (weather.gov) The 130th Boston Marathon is set for Monday, April 20, on Patriots’ Day, with more than 30,000 runners expected from 137 countries and all 50 states. The point-to-point course runs 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boylston Street in Boston. (wbur.org) (baa.org) Weather matters in Boston because the race stretches across eight cities and towns, and April conditions in Massachusetts can swing from cold rain to summer heat within days. WCVB said its race-week outlook is tracking cooler air and periodic showers after Tuesday’s warmth. (wcvb.com) (weather.gov) The course itself adds another variable. The Boston Athletic Association map shows the route rising through the Newton Hills before turning onto Beacon Street, then Hereford Street and Boylston Street for the finish. (baa.org) Heartbreak Hill gets the name recognition, but runners interviewed by Boston.com said the hardest miles often come later in the race’s final stretch. Deniz Karakoyunlu said Heartbreak Hill is “a steep half-mile uphill at mile 20,” while Amby Burfoot pointed to the downhill afterward, known to some runners as “Cemetery Mile,” because it batters the quadriceps. (boston.com) Boston.com’s runners also flagged the Massachusetts Turnpike overpass near Kenmore Square, around mile 24, as a late-race problem because runners can see it coming when their legs are already fading. That section arrives after the Newton climbs, when pacing mistakes and weather exposure tend to show up. (boston.com) (baa.org) That is why a cooler forecast does not erase the course’s difficulty. Boston’s reputation comes from the combination of rolling terrain, a net downhill opening that can lure runners into going too fast, and the hills that arrive after 16 miles. (boston.com) (baa.org) The next key date is Monday, April 20, when runners will find out whether the current shower chances hold and whether the late hills feel as hard as Boston’s veterans say they do. (wcvb.com) (wbur.org)
