This is the current marathon buzz - I hope they get it wrong.

With storm on way, organizers prepare for Boston Marathon
By Will Courtney
THE DAILY NEWS (NEWBURYPORT, Mass.)

BOSTON — Local runners who have trained for months for Monday’s Boston Marathon agree: The show must go on. Boston Marathon officials feel the same way — weather permitting.Organizers’ efforts are focused on doing all they can to ensure a forecasted nor’easter won’t cancel the Marathon for only the second time in its 111-year history, but they can’t make any promises.“Right now, barring any drastic changes and drastic worsening of the forecast, all systems are go for Monday,” said Peter Judge, spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

MEMA met with state and local officials Thursday afternoon to organize advance efforts to prepare the course for the nor’easter, which could bring gale-force winds and dump 3 to 5 inches of rain, snow and sleet on the region beginning Sunday night and going through Tuesday.The major concerns for the more than 20,000 runners, including more than 70 from Greater Newburyport, are hypothermia, flooding along the race course and the potential for falling tree limbs.

Working with the eight cities and towns along the route, MEMA will have some tree limbs pruned along the course, pumps at potential flooding spots and buses stationed along the route to warm or transport runners who fall prey to the elements.But should the forecasts show weather that would make things too dangerous, MEMA hasn’t ruled out calling the race off. “As race officials have said, the bottom line is the safety of the runners,” Judge said. “That will be the highest consideration when we look at the elements on Monday.

We sure don’t want to put people in serious harm’s way.”The only other time the race has been canceled was in 1918 during World War I. That year, a relay was held in its place. Judge said there would be no postponing the race. “It goes Monday, or it doesn’t go,” he said. “Other options aren’t on the table.”Judge said all the preparation by runners and volunteers would also weigh strongly in any decision.

Local runners, from marathon vets to novices, are counting on it.Tony Ames of Newburyport, who will be running his 11th Boston Marathon, has run the Border to Border 20-mile race from Kittery to Salisbury in 38-degree, rainy weather and conceded it’s not easy.“It was borderline hypothermia,” he said. “It was brutal. ... It’s not when you’re running, it’s when you stop.”Ames figured his body started shivering six to eight minutes after he stopped.“If temperatures are really 45 degrees or below with heavy rains, I think it’s going to get pretty ugly,” he said.Ames said he may wear long pants for the first time ever.

A number of other local runners were headed out to buy extra gear Thursday, as well.Margery Walentuk, 50, of Newburyport will be running her first, and possibly last, Boston Marathon. She’s got a head cold, but she was headed out to buy some rain gear, with every intention of being on the starting line Monday morning.“I’ve been running for 15 or 20 years, and I turned 50 this year. I’m not sure I’ll do another one, so I’ll truly go forward,” she said. “The weather won’t stop me.”Her plan: a weather-resistant jacket, an extra pair of socks baggied on her “fuel belt,” and her husband stationed at mile 16 with fresh shoes and socks.Pam Caron of Byfield has run one previous marathon — in San Diego, where it was a dry 80 degrees. She was also planning on buying rain gear after work. S

he’s envisioned what the Boston Marathon might be like.“I always just pictured this beautiful day,” she said. “But I’ve worked too hard. I’m not going to back out now.”Jodi Bertramb of Salisbury, who will be running her first marathon, has a forecast for any runners wondering what might happen.“Being a runner and going to all the races, (canceling) would never happen,” she said. “The Turkey Trot is a small, popular race in Newburyport, and we run in snow. I just know it will go on. If you don’t want to run, don’t show up.”