CHICAGO (12-Oct) -- For the second year in the row runners will have to confront much higher than normal temperatures at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
At 7h00, one hour before the start, the temperature is 61° (15°C) with 75% humidity. Local forecasters say that the high temperature for the day will reach 81°F (27°C), but that will be in the late afternoon. When the professional men finish just past 10h00, temperatures will be about 68°F (20°C) with 67% humidity, accompanied by bright sunshine.
Organizers had to shut down the race last year when temperatures soared over 80°F, and the race ran out of drinking water. Race director Carey Pinkowski has dramatically beefed up the event's aid stations to deal with potentially warm weather, and his preparations will definitely be tested today. Making his job that much tougher is the relatively high percentage of first-time marathoners who are attracted to Chicago's flat course and open embrace of charity groups.
Also, for the first time the elite runners will have a slight headstart over the mass field which attracted 45,000 entrants (perhaps 35,000 starters). The elite men and elite women will start at 7:55 a.m. which organizers hope will leave the fastest recreational men well behind the elite women, preventing them from potentially disturbing their head-to-head competition.
The course records here are 2:05:42 by Khalid Khannouchi in 1999 and 2:17:18 by Paula Radcliffe in 2002. Given the warm temperatures, it is unlikely that those times will be challenged today.
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