It’s been one week (and change) since the high temps of the New York City Marathon, and Strava dove into its data, which revealed that most runners probably went out too fast, given the mid 70-degree weather on race day.
In 2021, the high temp was a cool 55 degrees—ideal, if not a little warm for some runners—compared with the 2022 high of 74 degrees plus humidity. Strava found that its users’ who logged a finish in NYC ran an average finishing time in 2021 of 4:09:36, and this year it slowed to 4:21:26. (The average overall finishing time according to New York Road Runners, which includes all 47,839 finishers, was 4:50:26.)
Comparing the two years, runners set out at roughly the same pace—just under a 9-minute mile pace barring the hilly Verrazano Bridge in the first mile—but just before the 10-mile mark, runners started feeling the heat, and paces slowed down.
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You’d expect most amateur (read: not professional) runners to slow down toward the end of a marathon, which is what happened in 2021 and 2022, but the 2022 runners slowed way down, running a minute or so slower per mile in the race’s grueling, hilly last couple of miles, finishing at about a 9:45 minute-per-mile pace.
The NYC Marathon takes place in early November, on what should be a cool day. But thanks to warming temperatures, even a deep-fall race in the Northeast doesn’t guarantee PR conditions. The Chicago Marathon, which takes place in early October, has seen climbing temps over the years, too. This year, the high was 67 degrees with 60 percent humidity.
Those racing in the fall have spent months training in the heat, but race day hits differently; you are likely expecting a cooler day, want to push the pace, and (usually) will be running farther than any training run. As frustrating as it might be to have to dial back your PR plans if the forecast is toasty, there are ways to prepare for a warm race day, including managing expectations, using water stops to cool off, and bringing along extra electrolytes to stay hydrated.
And then there’s always the Antarctic Ice Marathon.
Heather is the former food and nutrition editor for Runner’s World, the author of The Runner’s World Vegetarian Cookbook, and a seven-time marathoner with a best of 3:31—but she is most proud of her 1:32 half, 19:44 5K, and 5:33 mile. Her work has been published in The Boston Globe, Popular Mechanics, The Wall Street Journal Buy Side, Cooking Light, CNN, Glamour, The Associated Press, and Livestrong.com.
