Boston Marathon Weather Report and More

By Adam Kopet

The 123rd Boston Marathon, the fifth race of the Abbott World Marathon Majors Series XII, is set to take place Monday.

The 2018 Boston Marathon took place in extreme weather conditions with heavy rain and cold winds that severely impacted athletes, slowing the race to winning times not seen since the 1970's. It was in those conditions that saw Yuki Kawauchi of Japan and Desiree Linden win.

With Monday's race still five days away, the weather report remains unclear. Conditions are unlikely to be as bad as last year, but Weather.com is forecasting wind and rain with temperatures between 44 and 55 degrees. That is warmer than 2018, but those conditions can still affect the outcome of the race.

In other news, 2014 Boston Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi has been named Grand Marshall for this year's Boston Marathon. He won the 2014 race in 2:08:37 to become the first American winner since 1983. His win also came one year after the bombings at the finish of the Boston Marathon. Keflezighi sported the names of those lost on his bib number.

One change to this year's Boston Marathon race is that the elite men will get a head start on the rest of the field. The elite women already have their own start, but the elite men have started just in front of the open runners. This year, the elite men will get a two-minute head start on the field. Prize money will only be awarded to runners from the elite starts.

This year's Boston Marathon will have many viewing options in the U.S. The Olympic Channel will have a preview show Sunday. NBCSN and NBC Sports Gold will have coverage of the Boston Marathon beginning at 8:30am EDT.

The race will also be aired locally on CBS Boston WBZ-TV. That broadcast will feature Shalane Flanagan as an announcer. An injury that revealed itself in the build-up to her third place finish at the 2018 New York City Marathon has kept her from competing in a spring marathon. However she has also contemplated retirement from racing. Flanagan remains active within the Bowerman Track Club as a coach and mentor to the other women in the training group.

For a look at who is competing in this year's race and what uniforms they will be wearing, the Boston Marathon provides a uniform guide.

2019 Runway has arrived...what the @johnhancockusa elites are wearing on race day.#BostonMarathon pic.twitter.com/ZK763hfJlW

— Boston Marathon JH (@jhboston26) March 20, 2019