What It Was Like to Run the Boston Marathon in a Freezing Deluge

I've never been cornered at a party by a marathoner. Don't apologise for telling your story. I enjoyed it.

Loved the story. Epic. Got that right. Just getting there is epic. Running it is nearly every marathon runner's epic dream. My first epic was 2012--hottest. My most epic was running it with my grown son in 2015. They're all epic. Run til you can't!

"the rain shifted between steady downpour and Noah’s Ark-style soaking" Let me attest, as someone watching the weather from one of those high-tech companies on Route 128, that this is not an exaggeration. That was a nasty, nasty storm.

These conditions were a perfect reminder of the essence of the marathon, perseverance, and so fitting for runners raising awareness for charitable causes. My nephew lost his life to depression and suicide and as we approach the second anniversary of his passing, he was gloriously memorialized by my niece's triumphant run on Monday in his honor and to raise awareness for mental health and suicide. We llove you RFK.

What is with the whining east coasters? In England this would be a perfect mid summers day run In California it would be a welcome change from running in the sun In Chicago, we call it spring As runners we run through the weather. Hot, cold, wet, dry, sun, snow. Run.

"Long distance runners live for the story." I really enjoyed this story and you have earned the right to bore friends and family for years with it!

Yes, all of this! An epic day, wanted to drop out at the beginning...or on the bus...your piece captures the day perfectly!

I've run 12 Bostons in a row starting 1994 and remembered how the worst thing had usually been that you train all winter long for the marathon, weekend long runs of three or more hours in freezing weather, and then on the day of the marathon, it would be a warm, sunny day. I couldn't imagine trying to run in yesterday's marathon, I don't think I would have finished, so congrats to those who endured!

Absolutely perfect description of day's event. I know -- I finished marathon too and trudged through exact same puddles / epic weather described here -- wow. Well done!

Oh, SO good! Thank you for bringing this day to me, to all us. Like every runners' story, yours made me cry.

Spot on description! My experience was exactly the same, other than the fact that my seat mate on the school bus was from Sao Paolo. Thank you for putting this into words!

Way to go Matthew! What doesn't make you stronger kills you.

You rock !!!

Thank you for coming to run. I was not one of the people cheering you on in person. I was sitting at home hearing the wind and the rain pummel my house, kicking my sump pump into high gear. I think it was one of the worst rain days in my memory! You have plenty to brag about, running the whole race thru that.

Loved this article!! Having been miserable in a marathon myself I can relate. But needless to say, I could never tell it as entertaining as you. I hope this is not your last piece about that time you ran in miserably cold rainy weather!! Congrats!

Rain soaked socks and muddy shoes...just another run in the Pacific Northwest! We set our music tracks to the rhythm of the splishin’ and splashin’!

Really enjoyed your story!

Don't mean to step on toes here, but an acquaintance of mine ran it yesterday as well. 21 weeks pregnant. Checkmate in terms of bragging rights.

What a fantastic recounting of what the runners were dealing with! I experienced it, too, and found it every bit has ridiculous as he describes. It’s a good thing I was running for charity or I would’ve dropped out halfway through. Much love & respect to all of those who started despite the insane conditions and even more for those who pushed through to the finish line. Whether or not you were running for charity, what you did was one of the ultimate athletic tests in mental fortitude. I now have a really good sense of what “Boston Strong” really means. Note to self: Next time, prepare for this by training in a 38-degree, driving rainstorm. Really. And don’t forget the life preserver!

Loved this piece!! Congrats

Thanks for this! Beautifully, perfectly describes the misery and exhilaration of the day, and of course we all want family and friends to know exactly what we endured and marvel at our grit and stamina. I told one friend that Hopkinton looked as if a mudslide had swept through the running section of a Dave's Sporting Goods and come to a rest in the Athlete's Village. And that even though I was too young, it's what I always imagined Woodstock to be like. But warmer.

Hi Matthew, Well-done on all counts. Fellow Minnesotan here. I was right there with you, from the muddy Athlete's Village to a torrential downpour right before I took the right on Hereford. I sought refuge in the toasty and friendly medical tent four times -- not because I was injured, but because I needed help getting my second pair of hand warmers opened, and because it ended up being a good place to warm up while I retied shoelaces that kept getting undone in the rain. Fourth Boston, 15th marathon. I logged my slowest marathon time by a good half-hour. But like you, I will be telling the story for a long time to come. Truly epic.

Lovely article. So glad I did Boston last year and decided not to do it this year - it was more fun reading about it than running it would have been (I need to wear gloves if it goes below 65 degrees!)

hi Matthew, I really enjoyed your story. I was there and you captured it, I also went through Natick with Bruce's "no surrender" playing, it really gave me a lift, and I remember thinking this is what marathons are about!

My niece ran yesterday, finished in 4:20...it was amazing to watch her and the rest of the runners battle the wind and rain, and I'm so proud of her and of all of them. And it's nice to know that our cheers and screams (I was at BC) helped a little!

Nice work. One of my training buddies was there yesterday and I'm eager to hear his account.

Now everyone who ran is ready for the Mud bowl challenge!

Oh, please, YES, he does: "Look, I really don’t want to come off as that guy who corners you at the cocktail party and drones on about the epic marathon he ran the other day, [but . . . ]." Pain, resilience, triumph, YES, Matthew did it. Congratulations!

New England is the perfect setting for people to do things they really don't want to.

Agree with Lindsey, superb story from excellent writing

The woman who finished as the third woman to cross the line is crediting her finish to having trained in Canada in the winter.

You mention talking to a woman from Utah wearing a singlet on the bus- was that Sarah Sellers? That would be so cool if it were.

I saw several men shaking like little babies on the subway after the run. I wish I had had blankets to offer them! Some of them were shaking uncontrollably.

I’ve run the Boston Marathon 8 times, as recently as 2017, and have run in some pretty bad weather (e.g. 2007 hurricane year) but this year was pretty awful. I stood out at mile 25 to cheer on runners from the team I’ve run for several times, the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge, and was amazed at the perseverance of each and every participant. Some were smiling from ear-to-ear and some were crying but you know, I think they were all elated they were running this amazing race. One note, nowhere in the article is the thousands of volunteers mentioned. These people are the backbone of the race. Without them, the race would have been infinitely more unpleasant.

Go ahead and tell this story all you want Matthew! Although I have never had the discipline to run a marathon, I am a long distance cyclist and can appreciate the misery of running in less than pleasant weather. Not that this proves that we are smarter but most recreational cyclists don't start rides in the rain (it's somewhat more dangerous on a bike than on foot) unless, of course, you have to start and finish to get the medal, T shirt, free lunch etc.. Of course, if one is caught out in the rain, you have to finish of only to get back to the warm, dry car. Unlike the sourpuss who's comments mock with faint praise, I salute you!

Great article. Congratulations for finishing. It was a day for pjs and movies under a blanket on the couch but you amazing athletes got up, geared up and ran 26.2 in that miserable weather. You have earned the right to talk about it and please do until your grandchildren have heard the story. Gotta love Boston!

It is so nice of you to run this marathon for those of us who cannot, or are not interested because they have other goals they work towards fulfilling. Made up, artificial targets are important too, and the article clearly demonstrates that they are rewarding.

Great article, and congratulations on finishing at Boston in those conditions! I used to do half-marathons when I had two legs, and always ran well in wet weather, as I cooled off as I was over-heating, allowing me to increase my pace. I always attributed running well in rain, snow, and ice storms to my Irish ancestry.

great article! Thank you. Please, feel free to recount this episode as often as you like, you are an entertaining storyteller which is a real plus for a journalist!!

Feel free to recount your story, Matt, in all it's miserable detail, should we ever meet at a party. I, in turn, will tell you mine. Marathoning is an endurance sport. It's cathartic, and we all get into the "suffering" factor. I didn't run Boston this year, but have run it twice. (The crowd is amazing!) I've run marathons in sleet and freezing rain, but the worst was the 1989 Cape Cod Marathon, an autumn day that was bizarrely hot and humid. My husband - a novice marathoner - and I ran it while on our honeymoon. We started out running together, but my husband gradually fell behind. Runners were dropping out in droves. I began to see ambulances going by, and wondered if, finally having gotten married at age thirty, I'd be a widow by the end of the race. (He dropped out, and was fine.) The heat gave me an inconvenient "digestive upset", but I finished with a sub-four-hour time - my standard for a decent performance. Only marathoners know the elation one can feel at the end of such a journey.