Seven Locals Slated to Run Boston Marathon

For runners who've been prepping for months for the Boston Marathon, today is the day. Known for its grueling Heartbreak Hill and the elite runners it attracts as a World Marathon Major, the route each year is lined by hundreds of thousands spectators hoping to see an event to remember.

Seven runners from Merrimack – Tim Cronk, Nancy Epstein, Curt Fischer, Nathan Fluet, Trent Hayden, Brian Kane, and Adrian Wong – are registered to run this year's marathon. Information about how to track their progress is below.

The 2011 marathon was met with cool temperatures and a tailwind, however a predicted tailwind is likely the only thing this year's marathon will have in common. Predicted temperatures for today are expected to soar into the 80s and have marathon officials concerned about the welfare of runners, which has spurred the Boston Athletic Association to make an offer they hope participants will take them up on.

According to the B.A.A. website, all 27,000 entrants to this year's race are being offered the opportunity to defer their entry to the 2013 marathon.

According to a story by the Associated Press, there is serious concern for the well being of the runners, especially the casual runners who may not be prepared to run 26.1 miles in the predicted heat.

The article said emergency rooms at the hospitals along the route are prepared for the possibility of an influx of patients suffering from heat-related issues.

The deferment program, according to the B.A.A. website is not a free entry to next year's race, but rather secures runners a spot in event that sells out annually. Boston Marathon Co-Medical Directors Dr. Pierre d'Hemecourt and Dr. Sophia Dyer that if they have not met the qualifying times for the marathon, they should strongly cosider the deferment option. 

The B.A.A. is also recommending that runners consider the marathon as an experience, not a race, and slow their pace down considerably. The B.A.A. will keep the finish systems open an additional hour on race day, until 6 p.m., whereas they usually close at 5 p.m.

We wish all who choose to run the best of luck. If you would like to follow the progress of Merrimack's runners, follow the instructions below.

Text RUNNER to 345678. You'll receive a message back asking to enter a bib number. Respond with the bib number and you're set to go. Standard text messaging rates apply. If you have other friends running and would like to follow them you can search by name or hometown here.

For the 2012 Boston Marathon, the cut-off time between Wave 1 and Wave 2 is 3:19:10. The cut off time between Wave 2 and Wave 3 is 3:43:48.