If you run and die in Boston it is not on the BAA (Page 2)

from the boston globe:

11:21 a.m.: The BAA reported that of the 26,716 runners who were awarded numbers, 22,426 actually started the race. That’s 84 percent, with more than 4,000 runners staying out after officials warned about today’s heat.

I guess there's no way to tell if that includes charity runners or qualifying runners or what. Do the charity runners deferring take slots away from people trying to qualify? I haven't qualified yet but it's on my list of things to do this year. Hope this doesn't make it even more monumentally difficult to get in... :-P

this for sure. As experienced as individuals may be who qualify for Boston, do triathlons, or what have you, their is an inherent stuborness (in many) to know when to call it quits and keep pushing on, especially in a race setting. Sometimes this piece of information make a big difference.

Also the main sponsor, John Hancock, gives out bibs to their clients who are runners as well. ING does the same with NYC.

First place 2012

Wesley Korir - KEN - 2:12:40

First place 2011

Geoffrey Mutai - KEN - 2:03:02

Looks like the winner was 9:38 slower than last year.  That's what? 22.061sec/mile off the pace from last year.  Guess the heat had a bit of an effect even on the Kenyans.  But hey, an American took 4th! 

Totally agree. You train in all kinds of weather because you have to race in all kinds of weather. It's BOSTON, arguably the most elite of all the road races.

I guess the real question now is whether or not it will affect the number of slots and time cutoffs per AG for 2013.

Congrats for running and finishing. Must have been really rough after training in A2 all winter. Now go get a beer and a nap, you earned it.

My sister finished in 03:34:10. Not a PR, but not too shabby. 

A few of my Rev3 Teammates are running. One crushed it, and the other two were definitely suffering in the heat. 

Congrads to all who finished today (and to those who started)!  Those who went out too hard probably learned a valuable lesson about racing in the heat.  Those who treated it as a "fun run" probably had the race of thier life (fun wise anyway). 

Hope that those who did blow up didn't get angry and "enjoyed" the back half of the race.  I know when I blew up in Chicago '10 due to the heat, I limped/crawled/jogged the last 5-6 miles giving high fives to as many kids as I could and just enjoyed the fans.  Sure, I came in 30+ minutes over my goal, but I made the most of it, had fun, and lived to run another day.

Friend of mine ran.  Multi-IM finisher and usually a sub-3:00 marathon runner.  Finished today in 3:43.  Conditions must have been rough.

I'm with ya on this.  The weather is also a gamble- you can never be gauranteed optimal conditions on race day.  Most people know that when you sign up for a race.   And with the winter being so mild nationwide, it was a given that race day would be above avg temps compared to the past.

Was it back in 2007 when the Boston Marathon had the noreaster blow through on race day?  So that was cold, windy and rainy- definitely not ideal running weather.  Did they allow runners to defer because the conditions weren't right and people could have gotten hypothermia?  Nope.  So what made today any different?  I guess what I'm saying is, where do you draw the line.

It's nice that they let runners defer- for those that chose to defer.  But that definitely screws it up for others trying to qualify and not being able to get a spot.

Kona is hot and windy- has anyone had the opportunity to defer that?