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04/20 06:10 CDT Military marchers set out from Hopkinton to start the 130th Boston Marathon Military marchers set out from Hopkinton to start the 130th Boston Marathon HOPKINTON, Mass. (AP) --- A group of Massachusetts National Guard members early Monday crossed the Boston Marathon start line, launching the 130th edition of the world's oldest and most prestigious annual marathon. Race Director Dave McGillivray sent the group of about 50 people in uniform off at 6 a.m. The temperature was slightly above freezing and frost was on the grass near the start line in Hopkinton. McGillivray said it's the coldest start he could remember in his nearly four decades working at the race. Staff Sgt. Mackenzie Smith and Spec. Benjamin De Boer stepped back and forth to try to stay warm before they set off on the course, but the cold didn't dampen their enthusiasm for participating in the Boston Marathon for the first time. "It's an honor and a blessing to be standing at the Boston Marathon start," Smith said. "The history that goes with the marathon resonates with me, growing up in Massachusetts." "I've seen this on TV all my life. I'm like, you know what, I am going to do it. It's a challenge," added De Boer. McGillivray said the cold added another layer of complexity because runners were arriving in Hopkinton with many layers of extra clothing that would be discarded at the start line and need to be collected. But as the sun comes out, he said it will be ideal for running. McGillivray planned to join the second wave to run with his children. His advice to the field of more than 30,000 on the 26.2-mile (42.195-kilometer) race to Boston's Copley Square: "Just run within yourself, be safe, and have fun." A year after shattering the women's mark by more than 2 1/2 minutes, defending champion Sharon Lokedi is headed to the starting line. Reigning men's champion and fellow Kenyan John Korir also is back. ___ AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports