Boston Marathon 2015: Weather Forecast, Live Stream and More Info
One of the globe's most cherished events occurs Monday with the 119th installment of the Boston Marathon.
Featuring a deep field of competitive racers, a difficult course and weather forecasts suggesting things won't be easy for all involved, it seems the event won't have any issues living up to the hype.
Below, let's look at the event's pertinent details, including the weather, start times and contenders.
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Viewing Information
Local
When: 7 a.m.-3 p.m. ET
TV: WBZ-TV
National
When: 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. ET
TV: Universal Sports Network
Live Stream: UniversalSports.com
Start Times
For an event with about 30,000 runners, it only makes sense not all are allowed to begin at the same time.
Below is a comprehensive list of Monday's full release schedule:
| 8:50 a.m. | Mobility Impaired Start |
| 9:17 a.m. | Push-Rim Wheelchair Start |
| 9:22 a.m. | Handcycle Start |
| 9:32 a.m. | Elite Women’s Start |
| 10 a.m. | Elite Men's and Wave One Start |
| 10:25 a.m. | Wave Two Start |
| 10:50 a.m. | Wave Three Start |
| 11:15 a.m. | Wave Four Start |
| 6:30 p.m. | Boston Marathon Official Post Race Party |
Weather Forecast
Mother Nature has a say in how this year's marathon will play out.
Weather.com projects a 100 percent chance of rain Monday. It's a notion AccuWeather.com's Kevin Byrne reinforced:
"Monday will be a brisk, cloudy day with temperatures mainly in the 40s at the start of the race, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Dave Dombek said. Daytime highs will have a hard time getting above 50 F, but there will also be a chance for a steady rain during the race, he added."
Rain may be a welcome sight to some runners, though, as a way to keep cool when the sun reaches its highest point. Byrne also outlines the implications of what projected wind gusts mean for runners:
"Winds on Monday will be around 10-20 mph, with gusts around 25 mph, according to Dombek. This could produce a headwind that would be a disadvantage to the runners, slowing their times."
In short, rain and wind will create further adversity for runners. This makes the eventual top finishers all the more impressive. Ditto for anyone who decides to run the course.
Preview
Speaking of the course, it's quite the scenic view featuring things such as the John Hancock Tower, which helps to mask the difficulty of the race.
Even for experienced runners, the course may prove a problem. This includes defending champion Meb Keflezighi, who still owns the 13th-fastest personal best in the men's field over 26.2 miles.
Keflezighi wants to become one of the rare back-to-back winners and seems to have the ability to do so. ESPN.com's Christopher Chavez outlines just one of the challenges facing the 39-year-old marathoner:
"While Keflezighi has done a good job of outracing the clock, his age will always be an issue. He turns 40 on May 5, and the marathon world hasn't seen this kind of performance from an older runner since Haile Gebrselassie, at age 39, went 2:08:17 at the 2012 Tokyo Marathon.
"
A competitive field, the lack of a surprise this time around and the unpredictable element mean Keflezighi, the most recognizable face in the field, has his work cut out for him Monday.
Shalane Flanagan is the name to watch in the women's division. She posted a seventh-place finish last year, led for 19 miles and clutches the fifth-fastest personal best in Monday's field.
An improvement in time over the course of the past year as well as the absence of some contenders has the American confident.
"I feel really optimistic and excited about this year just because we don't have [2014 winner Rita Jeptoo] in the race," Flanagan said, per NBCSports.com's Nick Zaccardi. "That makes me feel like the possibilities are open and endless for anyone. It's not like decided before the race who's going to win."
An unexpected champion tends to emerge more often than not at the Boston Marathon, though, with Keflezighi's triumph last year serving as the perfect example.
This year, a strong field and unpredictable elements surrounding the race means Monday will once again be a historic event.
Info courtesy of BAA.org unless otherwise specified.
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