85-year-old Katherine Beiers was the oldest runner to battle the rain and wind Monday in Boston

All kinds of history was made Monday during the 122nd Boston Marathon. Among the record-breakers and head-turners was 85-year-old Katherine Beiers, who ran the 26.2-mile course in 7 hours and 50 minutes, and in the process, became the oldest woman to ever complete the race. Beiers battled through weather conditions so harsh that 25 elite runners dropped out, and more than 2,500 runners were treated by medical staff, most with symptoms of hypothermia. In fact, when the first gun went off at 8:40 a.m., it was 37 degrees, making it the coldest Boston Marathon start of all-time. It’s no wonder the winning men’s and women’s times were the slowest they’ve been in more than three decades. Still, Beiers, who now has 14 Boston Marathon finishes to her name, pressed on. Think she’s used to running in the cold? No way. She lives in Santa Cruz, California, and ran 45 warm miles per week to get ready for Bean Town. Preparing for the inclement race day weather certainly wasn’t feasible.

posted Wednesday April 18th