Cloudy, cool weather at 129th Boston Marathon proves to be perfect conditions for runners

Elite runners finish 129th Boston Marathon amid gorgeous conditions

Elite runners from around the world complete the Boston Marathon amid dry conditions with temperatures in the 50s. FOX Weather's Katie Byrne was at the finish line to greet the tired athletes.

BOSTON – Cooler temperatures have moved into Boston, as the Northeast continues to ride a weather roller coaster – the ideal conditions for runners participating in the 129th Boston Marathon.

Kenya's Sharon Lokedi set a new Boston Marathon record, winning the women's field with a record time of 2:17:22. John Korir also of Kenya, won the men's field with the second-fastest time in course history, finishing the race in 2:04:45.

Temperatures at the starting line in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, made it over 50 degrees by the start of the race. Highs are expected to reach the mid-50s by the time the first runners cross the finish line on Boylston Street in Boston.

While temperatures are a few degrees below the climatological average for late April, the cool, dry air is widely considered optimal for running.

FOX Weather Correspondent Katie Byrne spoke with several runners who said they felt the weather helped them reach new personal-best running times.

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The first group of professional men and women started around 10 a.m., with all participating categories underway by around 11:15 a.m.

The 26.2-mile course, which winds through townships in eastern Massachusetts, has long tested athletes’ ability to compete against the terrain and Mother Nature.

Over the event’s long history, at least a dozen races have been affected by falling snow or driving rain. Others have contended with extreme heat.

According to the Boston Athletic Association, the warmest marathon on record occurred in 1905, when the temperature is believed to have approached 100 degrees.

More recently, the 2012 race began with a starting temperature of 75 degrees and peaked at 89 degrees by the afternoon, forcing thousands of runners to seek medical attention.

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Boston Marathon climate

(FOX Weather)

Despite the historical weather hurdles, Boston Marathon participants have set records for their performances.

In 2011, Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya ran the course in 2:03:02. On the women’s side, Ethiopia’s Buzunesh Deba set the course record in 2014 with a time of 2:19:59.

The race, first run in 1897, draws participants from more than 100 countries and serves as a qualifying event for many Olympic hopefuls.

The race also coincides with Patriots' Day, which commemorates the start of the American Revolution and is considered a holiday in Massachusetts.

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