Boston Marathon Qualifying Times 2012: Adverse Conditions Will Test Runners
With the 2012 Boston Marathon Monday, April 16, 2012, the talk has shifted to the adverse weather conditions and their effect on the times run.
While qualifying times were mostly set in much cooler conditions, the possibility of record-breaking high temperatures will slow down everyone participating. The hotter it gets, the harder the 26.2 miles is on a person’s body.
The race is scheduled to start at 9:00 a.m. ET with a 78 degree temperature that is slated to rise throughout the day. Add in almost 90 degree heat on top of running a marathon, and you have the perfect concoction for disaster.
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The Boston Athletic Association is advising runners that aren’t equipped for the adverse conditions sit out for this event:
"This will not be a day to run a personal best. If you choose to run, run safely above all else. Speed can kill. Heat stroke is a serious issue and is related to intensity of running as well as the heat and humidity.
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This is where the medical personnel have to take charge of the situation and make sure everyone knows before the event that they have the power to say a runner is unfit to continue. Many of these runners have waited two years for this event, and will not quit no matter how bad the heat gets.
Other runners have waited for this opportunity their whole life and would’ve had trouble even on a normal day. When will and determination aren’t enough, the doctors need to be able to say that it’s not safe for runners to go on.
With all of the issues that the increased heat will cause to the field of runners, there has to be an increased emphasis on hydration. For the safety of the runners, the BAA needs to get all hands on deck handing out water and making sure nothing goes wrong.
Patriot’s Day can still go off without a hitch, but it will take help from everyone.
2012 Qualifying Times (effective September 25, 2010)
| 18-34 | 3hrs 10min | 3hrs 40min |
| 35-39 | 3hrs 15min | 3hrs 45min |
| 40-44 | 3hrs 20min | 3hrs 50min |
| 45-49 | 3hrs 30min | 4hrs 00min |
| 50-54 | 3hrs 35min | 4hrs 05min |
| 55-59 | 3hrs 45min | 4hrs 15min |
| 60-64 | 4hrs 00min | 4hrs 30min |
| 65-69 | 4hrs 15min | 4hrs 45min |
| 70-74 | 4hrs 30min | 5hrs 00min |
| 75-79 | 4hrs 45min | 5hrs 15min |
| 80 and over | 5hrs 00min | 5hrs 30min |
| * Additional .59 seconds will not be accepted for those submitting an entry from September 12 through September 17. | ||
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