Weather Forecast for the Cork City Marathon....(Updated Sun 31st May)

How come we get nearly a month of cool weather in May and on the last weekend, the Summer decides to start? It looks like it's going to be a carbon copy of the weather for the last 2 Cork City Marathons......sunny, warm and dry.

There is a ridge of high pressure over the country for the weekend so there is little or no chance of rain. There is a breeze from the East coming in off the sea which might keep temperatures down a bit. It may have a cooling effect down near the tunnel but by the time the Marathon gets to the 22 mile mark, that breeze will be a headwind for the last 4 miles and the cooling effect will be at it's lowest.

(Updated Sun 10am)

It might be possible that there will be some sea fog at the start like last year but it now looks likely that it will be more like 2007 with blue skies and sunshine for the day. From a running point of view, it would be nice if it was dull and overcast but it's not going to happen. At the moment at 10am on Sunday, it is 15 deg C at Cork Airport. The city itself is likely to be a few degrees warmer. With the heat coming up off the road surface, it will probably be in the low 20's for the 2nd half of the race tomorrow.

Things to consider...

1) Hydration.........you are going to lose a lot of liquid through sweat due to the warm temperatures. Try and take on some water at each water station, especially after 6 miles. Remember, if you wait until you are thirsty before you drink, it's probably too late.

2) Sun Block........would you lie out in the sun for 4 hours without sunblock? Running in the sun for 4 hours is no different. Consider wear a cap and put some sunblock on exposed areas like shoulders, ears, etc.

3) Clothes......for the newbies.........leave the sweatshirts, jackets and tracksuits at home. It's amazing every year to see people lining up for the start at 9:00am on Patricks Street with all kinds of gear on. You should be wearing a running top (singlet) and shorts, nothing else. Anything more and you'll start to overheat. It's June, not December.