Brutal Winter Challenging Boston-Bound Runners

Snow, ice, and sleet aren’t running-friendly elements.

As if it isn’t already hard enough to train for a marathon, this winter’s record snowfall and frigid temps are making it even more difficult. Alex McKinney from Canton, Massachusetts is one runner who has been getting out on the roads and putting up with the wintry mess.

A 38-year-old physical therapist, McKinney will be completing his fifth Boston Marathon.

“There are certainly times when you have to be quick,” he said about his outdoor runs. “I find myself thinking ‘How high is that snow bank?’ in case I have to jump it.”

Four-time Boston champion, Bill Rodgers knows all about winter marathon training. In 1978, he won the marathon several months after the infamous “Blizzard of ’78” that crippled the city.

“I think all the New Englanders, Midwesterners and Canadians should be given a mile or two head start for having to deal with this,” he said, joking. “The Californians and Kenyans and Ethiopians aren’t dealing with the same conditions as us.”

Rodgers suggests runners back off in the winter in order to avoid missing the marathon due to injury.

For More: Standard.net