Historic Winter Poses Threat To Marathon Preparations

BOSTON (CBS) - How do you make 26.2 miles feel longer? Just add snow and potholes.

Runners training for this year's marathon have seen quite a bit of both.

And instead of cheering crowds, Beth from Marshfield has seen some less than happy drivers.

"Sometimes you get a bunch of thumbs up. Good for you. Sometimes it's not a thumb, it's another finger."

Meghan Ford, who goes to the Naval Academy, and her mom Ginny from Billerica are running with an asterisk - performance enhancing sunshine.

Meghan has spent time training in Maryland, while her mom admitted that she spent a couple of weeks in Aruba to train.

Marathon Monday is four weeks away and Hopkinton High School, which is the staging area for 30,000 runners, is still layered with snow.

The race director Dave McGillivray admits the weather has made things difficult, but he is confident that the route will be safe for runners and spectators on race day.

"It'll be race ready on April 20," said BAA Chair Dave McGillivray.

McGillivray remembers directing the marathon after the previous snowiest winter in 1996.

"For the 100th running of the Boston Marathon it snowed significantly a few days before the race," He said.

McGillivray is thinking about stealing a page from Fenway Park's playbook and using black sand to absorb the sunshine in order to melt the Hopkinton snow faster.

Meantime, in the eight towns along the route, pothole patrols will begin heat up on April 1st.

Despite Boston facing the snowiest winter on record, the Boston Strong spirit will once again be out in full force this Marathon Monday.