So, since I have started training for my marathon I have enlisted the help of my sister (a veteran of 12 marathons) for advice. As we got to talking we got on the subject of which Marathon was the hardest for her. She proceeded to tell me the story of the Dublin marathon of 2000, where the weather was so bad, the Irish Times headline read the next day, "RUNNERS DEFY WIND AND RAIN IN MARATHON OF SUFFERING".
The next year she ran in the Athens marathon. Athens, Greece is where it all began and she was looking forward to it, until she got there only to find a freak storm had hit Athens and it was pouring rain and freezing! She did not want to get off the bus! But, she did and once off the bus, she and the other participants waited in the freezing rain for the start. I couldn't help but laugh when she told me of how the bus carrying the elite runners roared through the flooded starting area splashing everyone with water and mud! It sounded like something from a movie! They ran the first mile in knee deep water!
This photo was taken at the finish of the Athens marathon. My poor sistah! The finish is in the old Athens Coliseum. Notice the empty stone seats. Usually, those seats are filled with spectators cheering on finishers, but not that day! 
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