Hard to believe that it has been more than 1,000 days since we last had a Boston Marathon in the spring, on Patriots’ Day.

Some may have forgotten just how hard it is to get an uneventful weather day this time of year in Boston.  

The last two April Boston Marathons have had rain, including a record amount of it back in 2018. The rain wasn’t nearly as disruptive in 2019 but combine that with the warm temperatures (the high in Boston was 70) and conditions were far from ideal.

To find “ideal running conditions”, and obviously that would vary depending on upon who you ask, you really have to go back to either 2016 or 2014, both were dry, but I bet many would protest that both were a bit warmer than they would like.

Let’s face it, whether you are running or not, getting a perfect weather day in Boston in April is tough business. This time of year, our nice weather is sometimes measured in the span of a few hours, not days. Be it rain, wind, cold or even snow, we have seen it all in the 125 prior Boston Marathons.

Having said all that, I am starting to think that MAYBE, just MAYBE, we could get an ideal weather day on Monday. What is ideal? A little research shows that most runners prefer temperatures somewhere between 44 and 59 degrees. More specifically, between 49-52 degrees.

You’ll notice the classic sea breeze as runners get closer to Boston. Temperatures will be rising for most of the race and then begin to decline for the home stretch, something I don’t think most runners will mind at all!

There will definitely be a different feel later in the day with clouds thickening and temperatures dropping with an increasing southeasterly wind. So, for those final finishers late in the afternoon, there will a bit of a chill in the air.

posted Friday April 15th