Bain: "I had a Boston streak to keep alive"

GRC's Dickson Mercer, donning hat and shades, tries to stay cool near mile 11 in Natick

UPDATE: Chris Bain, GRC's top harrier in yesterday's Boston Marathon, is quoted this morning in the Washington Times:

"Local runners all agreed it was a rough time out there.

'It was really tough,' said experienced marathoner Chris Bain of Takoma Park. 'A lot harder than I thought it would be. I went out at 1:18 for the half marathon and I thought that was conservative. I came back in 1:28. I started feeling it at mile eight, a little chill, like the first sign of heat stroke. So I started slowing at 14 miles. I ran Boston in 2004 [one of the hottest in history] but this was worse than 2004.'

A veteran of 35 marathons, Bain said he did not even consider deferring to next year’s race.

'No, I had a Boston streak to keep alive,' said Bain, a 34-year-old software developer who now has completed 15 consecutive Boston Marathons and runs for the Georgetown Running Company."

NOTE - yesterday, I incorrectly identified Bain's Boston streak as 14.

FINISH

Patrick Reaves runs 2:36:22, which is quite good for a man who detests all things heat and humidity.

Chris Bain - 2:45:43

Lavar Curley - 2:56:00

Robert Jarrin - 3:52:00

According to tracking, all others have dropped out.

Per the heat, Brian Young planned to drop out and will run the Glass City Marathon on Sunday.

Pittsburgh, Burlington (VT), Cleveland are other spring 'thon options.

At 10:00am EST, a solid contingent of GRC harriers will toe the line in Hopkinton, Massachusetts for a 26.2 mile jaunt towards downtown Boston. That roster includes Dickson Mercer (marathon PR of 2:29), Chris Bain (2:31) and Patrick Murphy (2:36). Will Rawson (2:45ish) heads into the race a little under trained due to an injury. Lavar Curley, Robert Jarrin, Scott Koonce, Patrick Hughes and Brian Young have all run circa 2:48-2:50ish.

Weather and temperature have been the subject of conversation amongst analysts, elites, citizen runners and Joe joggers alike. Reports indicate the temperature in Hopkinton at the start will be 71 degrees with 53% humidity. Making conditions even worse is that there doesn't appear to be a cloud in the sky. Temperatures on the asphalt will "feel like" 80-85 degrees by the time racers enter Boston proper.

UPDATE: Mike Cotterell has pulled out of the race...not sure whether this is due to the heat or another factor. Cotterell was the top GRC runner (2:37) when weather similarly inhibited runners at Chicago in 2010.

Suggested finish time after 5k (approx):

              » Bain, Christopher (USA)    224         02:35:20             
               » Curley, Lavar (USA)    1290         02:59:42             
               » Jarrin, Robert (USA)    1801         02:51:56             
               » Koonce, Scott (USA)    1398         02:59:58             
               » Mercer, Dickson (USA)    286         02:32:32             
               » Murphy, Patrick (USA)    502         02:35:18             
               » Rawson, Will (USA)    535         02:43:44             
               » Reaves, Patrick (USA)    269         02:28:38

Suggested finish time after 10k (approx):

Bain/Murphy have picked up the pace ever so slightly

              » Bain, Christopher (USA)    224         02:34:38             
               » Curley, Lavar (USA)    1290         02:58:01             
               » Hughes, Patrick (USA)    1022         -             
               » Jarrin, Robert (USA)    1801         02:55:32             
               » Koonce, Scott (USA)    1398         02:59:58             
               » Mercer, Dickson (USA)    286         02:33:13             
               » Murphy, Patrick (USA)    502         02:34:38             
               » Rawson, Will (USA)    535         02:46:22             
               » Reaves, Patrick (USA)    269         02:29:30             
               » Young, Brian (USA)    940         02:45:33

Suggested finish time after 15k (approx):  

Dix, Bain, Murphy all running together now and have "settled" into a sub-6:00 pace. Expat Reaves about 2:00 ahead of our trio at 9.3 miles.

Lavar, a Navajo Indian who hails from the Arizona desert, is one of the few pushing his pace

              » Bain, Christopher (USA)    224         02:35:01            
               » Curley, Lavar (USA)    1290         02:58:01            
           
               » Jarrin, Robert (USA)    1801         02:55:32            
               » Koonce, Scott (USA)    1398         03:01:28            
               » Mercer, Dickson (USA)    286         02:34:58            
               » Murphy, Patrick (USA)    502         02:35:01            
               » Rawson, Will (USA)    535         02:49:44            
               » Reaves, Patrick (USA)    269         02:29:30            
               » Young, Brian (USA)    940         02:53:58                          

Suggested finish time after 13.1m (approx):

Expat Reaves clings to sub-2:30 pace - 1:14:58 at 13.1

Dix and Murphy fall back from Bain


              » Bain, Christopher (USA)    224    01:18:07  (half)  02:36:13             
               » Curley, Lavar (USA)    1290    01:27:38    02:55:16             
               » Jarrin, Robert (USA)    1801         03:12:19             
               » Koonce, Scott (USA)    1398    01:31:53    03:03:46             
               » Mercer, Dickson (USA)    286    01:21:00    02:42:00             
               » Murphy, Patrick (USA)    502    01:21:00    02:42:00             
               » Rawson, Will (USA)    535    01:27:35    02:55:10             
               » Reaves, Patrick (USA)    269    01:14:58    02:30:01             
               » Young, Brian (USA)    940         02:53:58     

As Baystaters would say, the sun is now "wicked".

Dix and Murphy dropped out at Wellesley...and might save the entire 26.2 for another day.

Rawson, Koonce and Jarrin also out at 13.1?

Breezy dropped out around mile 10.

Bain has slowed in the hills, but still running strong especially considering the heat. He is running 2:40 pace.

Lavar has...picked up the pace.

Reaves, at 30k, is on 2:30 pace.

Suggested finish time after 30-35k (approx):

              » Bain, Christopher (USA)    224    01:18:07    02:42:22             
               » Curley, Lavar (USA)    1290    01:27:38    02:54:35
             
               » Reaves, Patrick (USA)    269    01:14:58    02:31:58              




The Science of the Sport blog has a good analysis and perspective on the conditions.