THE 100TH MARATHON NOTES: RAIN CAUSES A STIR

BOSTON HERALD

While most people tried to dodge raindrops yesterday, Boston Marathon technical coordinator Dave McGillivray was in Hopkinton with a bucket trying to win the battle with Mother Nature.

"Obviously with the weather this morning it was another test of our patience," said McGillivray, who planned to be back on the job at 3 a.m. today.

"There are a couple of more things we need to do," he said as the logistics of providing support services for an official record field of 38,717 hit the final hours.

McGillivray said officials have placed additional piping in and around the athletes village to help banish excess rainwater. They also placed more topsoil to dry wet areas. A special type of tarp covered 80,000 square feet of the village, which was to begin providing a home away from home for runners shortly after 5 a.m. today.

"The platforms are up. The port-a-johns have been installed. We have 1,200 barricades that will make up the corrals for the runners. It's all coming together," he said.

McGillivray, with assistance by Vic Navarro, the start coordinator for the New York City Marathon, said there was still work to be done.

"Once the roads leading into Hopkinton are closed this morning at 6 we'll finish some things," he said. "The town (of Hopkinton) has been coming together for all our last-minute needs. There were a lot less people that came out here (yesterday), so we were able to get around a lot better."