Cold Weather Greets Runners For Final Long Marathon Training Run

BOSTON (CBS)- With a little more than three weeks before Patriots' Day, hundreds of Boston Marathon participants set out for their last long run before the race.

The Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge set up water tables along the route, beginning in Hopkinton and running 20 miles to Boston College.

The long run is meant to condition their squad for the April 15th course. But this winter's miserable cold and record setting snowfalls, have made conditioning difficult for many.

"This winter has been really mean," Sean Nyhan told WBZ-TV at about mile 19. "We've been training indoors and getting our runs in where we can."

Nyhan is raising money for Charlestown youth sports and wore a giant, puffy wig to try to keep his head warm in the 30-degree run.

"It's all just part of making it fun and trying not to take it too seriously. We're trying to be positive today and carry that positivity into the race," he said.

"It's just up in the head. It's been 80's every day!" runner Larry Hanson said as he prepared for his 19th marathon.

Many counted on inspiration from the causes they champion to pull them through the tough morning.

"I think about them," said Jennie Sheridan, who lost her two sisters and brother to cancer within four years of each other. "I think they all went through so much: surgery, chemotherapies and radiation. They always had such a great attitude, and that carries me along."

Personal goals motivated quite a few runners during the cold months.

"My best time ever is 4 minutes slower than Oprah so I'm trying to beat that," said Bill Kelly.