Boston Marathon Live Blog!

Welcome to Live Blogging the Boston Marathon!

I will updating this page. Hit REFRESH to get updates.

I am not in Boston, nor do I have any special information or insight into the race.
I'm just watching it Universal Sports and stuffing my face while I lay on the couch. I will give updates on the elites as well as runners from NC.
I will also provide a running commentary on the Universal Sports commentary. They always come up with some creative things to say as they try to fill two hours time watching people run in straight line. Here are two tidbits from last year:

1. Compared to most other marathons, the Boston hills are "The Rocky Mountains". 
2. The runners are slower at the start in Hopkington because it is a higher elevation and the "air is thinner up there"

Carolina Godiva Track Club Runners 

• Tim Meigs #307
• Ulf Andre #766
• Jeff Hall #9072
• Crews, Wayne M #4093
• Potter, Guy #6479
• Kraus, William #24559
• Jones, Colin #1390
• Baddour, Allen #3136
• Jeff Peterson #8001

9:00 AM

• Current weather in Hopkinton, MA: 66 F and sunny. Going to be 81 in Boston by noon. Not as hot as predicted. Low humidity. I think this whole heat thing is being overblown.
• WIND - The wind is coming from the SSW. Mostly at the backs of the runners. I predict FAST times from the elites!

9:30 AM

Favorites in the Women's race. Info stolen from MarathonGuide.com

• Caroline Kilel - Kenya, PB 2:22, defending boston champ
• Sharon Cherop - Kenya, PB 2:22 
• Ashu Kasim - PB 2:23 Ethiopia
• Firehiwot Dado - Ethiopia PB 2:23, 2011 NY marathon champ
• Buzunesh Deba- Ethiopia PB 2:23 

Wow! looks like it will be a tight race!


9:40 AM
Nice high quality stream on UniversalSports.com. But they started the coverage right at 9:30, right when the womens race started. Booo.
Big pack of women out front so far.

They are continuing their "pre-race" coverage, even though the women are currently running. Wow, no respect.

9:50 AM
15 min into the womens race, about 15 women in the pack. 70 degrees. American Shannon Miller hanging with them for now.

As Karen mentioned below, the Mens Marathoners have dropped 20 pounds and shortened themselves 5 inches in the last 5 years (or something like that). Those must be some intense work outs!

9:52 AM
Women hit 5K in 18:50. Wow thats a jog for them.
The commentators are amazed that women are sharing water!
Extreme downhills! 475 feet in 5K. So extreme you might almost notice it!

10:05 AM
Commentators: The sport of running goes all the way back to 1864. Before that no one ever thought race by running. Someone tell the Greeks.

10:10 AM
Americans Glen Randall and Nick Arciniaga leading the mens race. Commentators think it is "silly". I hope one of them wins.

10:15 AM
About Glen Randall: "Do he look big to you?" "HUGE!"

10:20 AM
Women hit 10K at 37:14. hasn't thinned out much.

NC Runners:
Jason Page of Bull City Running hit 5K in 17:37. WOW.
Alex Varner 5K 17:36
Tim Meigs 5K 19:02
Ulf Andre 5K 19:17
George Linney: 5K  19:10
Wayne Crews: 5K 21:12 being conservative. That's still a 3 hour pace.

10:30 AM
"Simon and Garfunkel. Sound of silence" behind lead wheel chair racer.
Weather is not affecting people partying.

Glen Randall dropped back, probably because he is so HUGE.

10:35 AM
Josh Cassady of Canada sets course record by 1 second in push rim!
But wait maybe he didnt get it.
"He's totally fixated on that."
YES. RECORD.

Jason Page and Alex Varner 10K in ~ 35:30, 5:43 pace. Holy crap.
Tim Meigs: 38:10. 10K

10:45 AM
Thanks for heads up in the comments!
NC women runners, projected finish:

Timmons Williams: 2:52
Kimberlie Fowler: 2:53
Macy Latter: 2:54

Elite women pack is down to 10 women. 15K in 55:15

10:55 AM

NC Teams, predicted finish times:

Bull City Track Club
Patrick Reaves, Alex Varner, Jason Page - All on pace for a 2:30! Holy Crap.

Godiva Mens Masters (Old men) Team @ the 10K mark:
Wayne Crews 2:58, Ulf Andre 2:45, Colin Jones 2:45, Tim Meigs 2:41

11:15 AM
I am getting very hot and dehydrated. Low on fuel.

Some girls at an aid station trying give out water collided with the elite women, causing defending champ Kilel to drop back. Wow.

11:22 AM 
"Look at the way they have the water stacked up! That's crazy!"
It was so high the elite women couldnt reach it.

11:25 AM
GO GODIVA!
Tim Meigs not slowing down at all. Even pacing so far 6:10/mile. 1:20 at the half

Other NC runners at the half:
Alex Varner - 1:16
Mitch Vanbruggen - 1:13
Jason Page - 1:18
Colin Jones - 1:24
Mike Combs 1:21

Kimberly Fowler: 1:28
Timmons Williams 1:29

11:30 AM
Geoffrey Mutai, who holds the fastest marathon time ever, considered the fastest man in the world. Has fallen back and may not even make the Kenyan Olympic team.

He has pulled out because of cramps.

11:49 AM
The mens race has boiled down to two 22 year old Kenyans.
The womens race, two Kenyans. No surprises there.


12:02 PM
Cherop takes off! in the home stretch. Looks like she is struggling. No she's got it.

12:16 PM
A dry 78 degrees in boston, not as hot as predicted. Some Wesly Karir of Kenya wins, I know i didnt spell that right.

12:35 PM
The heat is taking it's toll on some of the runners we are tracking.
As for me, I am exhausted and close to dropping out.

First runner from NC finished, Mitch Vanbruggen 2:33:26. Never heard of him.
Patrick Reaves on the Bull City Running Team, finishes in 2:36.
Others on the Bull City Running team are deciding to back off.

Our Godiva Masters team is still going strong. Predicted finishes:

Jeff Hall 3:02
Wayne Crews 3:06
Tim Meigs 2:46

If you look at the splits, they have paced themselves quite well and not slowed much at all.

1:00 PM
I am starting to cramp up sitting on this couch.
I have to go to work anyway, so I'll wrap this up later tonight.