Calderwood in China – Day 10 – Men’s Marathon – 9/02/08

I’ve been a marathoner long enough to have run one in just about every kind of weather-freezing cold, big rainstorms, desert-like dryness, falling snow, and the occasional beautifully crisp, cool day-and, like just about everyone else with marathon experience, I’ve learned that the worst conditions of all are the unfortunately common combination of high heat, high humidity, and direct sun. Climate change seems to be blessing us with more such marathons every year-even the traditionally temperate Chicago and Grandma’s marathons were run in awful heat and humidity in 2007-but the Olympic Marathon, perversely, has almost always been run in this worst of all possible weathers. It’s part of the Summer Games, of course, which are held in countries where the weather will be nice for things like soccer, rowing, and beach volleyball-and sprinting, for that matter. And the gymnasts and swimmers and fencers don’t care much either way.[More]

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Tags: Distance Running, NYRR, Olympics, Running, Stuart Calderwood, Track & Field, Women's Olympic Marathon