'It's brutal,' Race is on to fix potholes along Boston Marathon route
NEWTON - You've probably seen the crews out there working. The race is on for cities and towns along the Boston Marathon route to patch up the damage winter did to Massachusetts roads.
In Newton, a crew spent much of Thursday patching up asphalt around storm drains on the sidelines where spectators gather. In a little more than a week, every mile of the route will be under scrutiny, with throngs of racers putting the pavement to the test.
"I've seen a lot of crews out getting things ready," said marathon runner Carrie Aronson from Wellesley. She worries about potholes. "I actually stepped in one on the side," she said.
"Getting ready for the marathon is a big deal," said Beth Gildae, who heads Wellesley's Highway Division. "The biggest worry would be somebody tripping on it. We definitely don't want the runners to have difficulties. It should be a safe route for them," she said.
"It's very important. I rolled my ankle in a pothole. It was covered by snow earlier in the year. I thought that was the end of my training for this year," said runner Larry Alberts.
There are white circles spray-painted around potholes where patching is planned. "You know it's just a function of salt, and freezing, and plows," said Tom McGinn who lives near the route in Newton.
"It's brutal," said Michael Terekhov, who was out for a training run Thursday. "There's a lot, especially here after the winter, especially hips, hips are tough."
Street crews in all eight communities hosting the race promise the route will be pristine by Marathon Monday.
