Eighteen area runners complete Boston Marathon in challenging conditions

It was cold and windy at the start of the Boston Marathon Monday in Hopkinton, Mass. (Photo courtesy Boston Marathon)

BOSTON, April 16 – In literally miserable weather, 18 Farmington Valley runners completed the 122nd Boston Marathon Monday. It was raining all day and it was 35 degrees when the race began. Marathon officials said it was the coldest marathon in 30 years in Boston.

But runners are a special kind of athlete. They train long hours in all kinds of weather to be prepared for one of the most famous races on the planet.

West Simsbury’s Kyle Heubner, 23, was the fastest area runner in 2:50.02. He ran at Simsbury High and recently graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, where he helped organize the Penn running club.

Simsbury’s Shannon Siragusa, 43, was the top woman from the area in the race, finishing with a time of 3:01.31. That was good enough for a top 10 finish in the women’s 40-49 age division where she finished sixth. She was also the 100th woman to cross the finish line.

Peter Keyo, 37, was the top runner from Canton in the race with a time of 3:03.20. Even in tough conditions in Boston, it was faster than the 3:11.25 time he ran in October at the Hartford Marathon. Kevin Verge, 37, was the top runner from Avon with a time of 3:06.58.