by Bob Anderson It was a hot day to run a marathon.   Tempertures at this year's Boston Marathon (April 16) rose to 89 degrees during the event.

Race winner Wesley Korir didn't ignore that factor, employing strategy rather than speed to win the 116th annual race.  Korir, a resident of Louisville, Ky., who is seeking U.S.  citizenship, said he likes running in the heat because it allows him to  think more about strategy than speed. That outlook may have helped him when the lead pack picked up its pace and left him behind before Heartbreak Hill.  He said as much after the race:

“When they took off, I wish I had an opportunity  to tell them, ‘You guys are crazy,’” Korir said. “I was not going to go with them. I thought about my daughter. I thought about my wife. I didn’t want to go to the hospital. I wanted to go home.”

Her performance is the second best of the year according to Best Road Races rankings.  The only better performance would be Tariku Jufar's 2:06:51 time ran at the Chevron Houston Marathon held in January.

Christine is a member of the Ujena Fit Club and will be featured in the documentary movie "A Long Run."

To a certain extent, that holds true. But strategy also plays a big part in any race, namely the longer events. When do you hold back with the pack, and when do you make your push? Do you go for the early lead or hold back and make your move late, when others are tiring?

Determining that strategy was especially important this year.  It was reported that 2,181 runners needed help at Boston Athletic Association medical  tents (the most ever), 500 runners were treated at Red  Cross stations,  215 runners who were taken to area hospitals and 15 to 20 of those runners were admitted overnight.