No surprise: It’s going to be hot
I had this old poster from a previous AJC Peachtree Road Race. It read: “So hot even the pavement runs.” It’s going to be one of those days tomorrow.
It’s going to be hot. We knew that going in, and even as the temperature in the city cools from the record highs of last week, the heat will play a huge role in this year’s AJC Peachtree Road Race.
Here’s the first thing to know: The Atlanta Track Club said in an e-mail to runners this morning that the race will begin in Alert Code Yellow (more on the color codes here). That means a moderate alert, “less than ideal conditions for the start time on Wednesday morning.”
“We encourage our participants to take it easy and be prepared for conditions to possibly get worse. We ask our runners to pay attention to the Event Alert System along the course as conditions change.
“Please utilize the water stops that will be available along the course on both sides of the street as well as the cooling stations. Hydrate prior to the start of the event, and stay mindful of how you feel. Listen to your body and if you’re not feeling well, be sure to seek medical assistance which is available along the course.”
The race will be among one of the hottest ever. WSB-TV forecasts the temperature at 7 a.m. to be 73 and 8 a.m. to be 76. That would make it around the same temperature as last year – a temperature I thought was very hot, and it was the hottest start temp in six years.
So be sure to read our blog from yesterday and drink some water today (and hopefully you drank some water yesterday, too). Be careful and pay attention tomorrow – to your body and the road. There is a lot of construction around the start on Peachtree parts of the street will be fenced off.
Have a great run/jog/walk/stroll/roll. There will be a t-shirt waiting for you at the end.
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10 comments Add your comment
glen burns
July 3rd, 2012
12:56 pm
73 degrees and sunny = dangerous conditions?
Casey Smith
July 3rd, 2012
1:53 pm
So much for me beating a Kenyan this year.
Bobby
July 3rd, 2012
2:12 pm
It’s always been run on July 4. Sometimes, a little warm, sometimes a little humid. But it is what it is. Otherwise we wouldn’t run it. No flags needed, thank you very much.
Artie
July 3rd, 2012
2:17 pm
It’s not the heat…it’s the humidity!!!
Stan
July 3rd, 2012
2:21 pm
This is not anything new…if you run in the summer in Atlanta, this is an everyday…
Frank Shorter
July 3rd, 2012
2:24 pm
It’s July in Atlanta… With global warming what should we expect?
matthew york
July 3rd, 2012
2:54 pm
get a good night’s rest and have fun!!!
Cad
July 3rd, 2012
3:49 pm
@ken burns
Yes, starting temperatures in the seventies when groups will be released every five to ten minutes over an hour and a half with the slower run/walkers leaving the starting corrals as late as 9 AM is a recipe for a problem. Hopefully water stations remain fully stocked as the crowds roll through.
The optimal temperature for a marathon is 55F. I like it a bit cooler than that myself.
Mary Chestnut
July 3rd, 2012
4:48 pm
Does the human being bear ANY responsibility for ANYthing? Or does Joe Wilson need to email us all tomorrow morning with a reminder about wearing our seatbelts on the way to MARTA?
Please tell me the people running beside me won’t actually look at the color of a flag to make a common sense decision.
Kait
July 3rd, 2012
10:34 pm
I ran the race route Thursday around 8:00 pm for the first time. Starting temp was 97 degrees. As long as you pace yourself and stay hydrated, I don’t think there will be that much of an issue.