Racing: Marathon: Rain, snow, driving winds forecast Boston Marathon

Breitart.com has the weather forecast regarding expected conditions for the 111th annual Boston Marathon: "heavy rain and sub-freezing cold plus blustery winds gusting as high as 50 mph, often forcing the runners to battle into a severe headwind." Yech!

The article's headline, "Furious storm forecast for Boston Marathon" (Apr14,2k7) gives way to the lead info on the footrace, which is about the human factor, bad weather or good. Deena Kastor "will try to become the first American in 22 years to win the Boston Marathon here Monday [Apr16,2k7]...."

Kastor, 34, won last year's London Marathon with a career-best time of 2 hours, 19 mins, 36 secs. Kastor also captured the 2005 Chicago Marathon and took the bronze medal in the women's marathon at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

"For the 22 years I have been running I have promised myself to keep setting loftier goals in this sport. Boston is my next lofty focus."

She hopes to become the first US man or woman to win a Boston Marathon since Lisa Larsen Weidenbach in 1985, but she will be challenged by defending champion Rita Jeptoo of Kenya and Latvia's Jelena Prokopcuka. ...

Also back to defend a Boston Marathon crown is Kenya's Robert Cheruiyot, who set the race record last year with his triumph in 2:07:14. ...

Kenyans have won 14 of the past 16 men's titles at Boston and six of the past seven Boston women's crowns.

I'm rooting for the Latvian lady this round.