IN some of the toughest Boston Marathon conditions seen for a long time, Simon Ashby was the only Bermuda-based athlete from a party of 19 to beat three hours on the testing course. Even Kenya’s three-times winner and course record holder Robert Cheruiyot was reduced to the slowest victory time since 1977.In the early hours of the race morning on Monday, organisers were seriously considering cancelling the race for the first time since the inaugural event in 1897 because of concerns about a freezing “northeaster” storm bearing down on the US eastern seaboard.

Race director Dave McGillivary would not say exactly how close the world’s oldest marathon came to its first cancellation, but did express a fear that the more than 20,000 runners bused out to a muddy field in Hopkinton some 26 miles from Boston for a three-hour wait before the start of the race might lock themselves in the portable bathrooms for shelter against the elements. Two large marquees had been erected on a school sports field but were not enough to provide shelter for all the competitors. At the last minute school gymnasiums were also opened up to create additional dry space.

Ashby seemed little effected by the tough conditions, which included wind and rain that slowed Cheruiyot to two hours 14 minutes 13 seconds. Ashby crossed the half-way point in 1:24:17 and reached the finish in 2:53:35.

The next home from the Bermuda contingent was Geoff Blee, in his second marathon of the year in 3:03:50.

Blee had managed to find warm shelter in one of the gymnasiums and said afterwards he had been going well in the race up to the 35K point (around 18 miles) when his legs started to hurt and despite trying to run through the pain was eventually reduced to a few short stops to stretch his aching muscles.

He added: “The best thing was being in the gym pre-start, but running in wet shoes and socks for 26.2 miles with no feeling in the big toe of my left foot.” Expected to be the first island runner home was Peter Mills, but his great start, reaching halfway in 1:24, was soon for nought as his leg muscles rebelled as a result of the wet and dreary wait in the sports field tents for hours beforehand and not being able to loosen up before the start.

“The second half of the race was all about damage limitation and trying to get myself to the finish,” he said.

Next to finish was Alistair McNeish, who expressed delight at clocking a time that qualifies him for automatic entry into next year’s race.

Equally happy was Marco Zanol, who despite the conditions managed to set a personal best time of 3:19:26.

“I’ve always loved this race and used to watch my father (Giorgio) run it,” he said.

Mid-Ocean News athletics writer Scott Neil was next home in 3:30:06.

Marathon man Calvin Steede, who has run over 70 marathons, found a fresh batch of energy to run smoothly in the closing miles for 3:38:46 time, just over 10 minutes further behind was Stephen Dunkley, currently in training for a 100K race in Italy.

He said: “The best part was the Wellesley College girls’ cheering.” He and fellow 100K racer Giorgio Zanol sat outside the school building at Hopkinton for a couple of hours on plastic bags waiting for the start, but despite the hardship Dunkley was pleased to improve upon his previous Boston time by a couple of minutes.Melissa Durrant was one of only two runners from Bermuda to achieve a negative split — running the second half faster than the first half — as she clocked 3:54:43.

Judith Marsden was also under the four-hour barrier by 34 seconds. Her previous Boston experiences have all been challenging but she was determined to break four hours. She also spoke of her surprise at finding enterprising young Bostonians selling waterproof garbage bags to wear for $1 at 6 a.m. on race day.

Michael McCallum was back in 4:02:19, just ahead of Giorgio Zanol, who has now run 44 marathons which includes 12 Boston events and a lifetime-best on the course of 2:45 set 23 years ago.

“This is the first time I have run in tracksuit and long sleeves. It probably wasn’t necessary to do so, but in the morning I though it was the right thing to do,” he said. Ian Gilberston and Tara Oakhem (4:14:53) were next back, followed by Robert Hunter (4:18:28), Salvatore Canterlla (4:21:41), Dawna Ferguson (4:29:01), Wayne Robertson (4:47:42) and Samantha Stephens (4:48:28).

Gilbertson remarked on the Woodstock-like mud experience of the tent holding area before the race, while Ferguson said she would stick to races that did not involve being transported to a distant starting line and a couple of hours waiting around.

The overall lead woman was Russia’s Lidiya Grigoryeva, who just beat the 2:30 mark.

Runners brave terrible weather in Boston