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Saturday is race day. If you are taking part in the News and Sentinel Races you already know that.
Regardless of if you are doing the half marathon or the two-mile race you have likely trained for weeks or even months so that you will do as well as you can. You have picked out your favorite shoes, maybe a special hat or running shirt you really like. Have you picked the weather?
The weather is something of course that we cannot control. As race organizers, we would have ordered the perfect day if we could. We and you, for that matter, are stuck with whatever nature throws our way.
The 8 a.m. forecast for Parkersburg Saturday morning calls for partly sunny conditions with a temperature of 71 degrees.
This will be the 22nd time I have helped stage the half marathon, so I have a pretty good idea how the weather will feel for those taking part.
August nights get pretty chilly. Some years a jacket has been in order as we start setting up things at 5 a.m. Because the ground will likely be warmer than the air, there will likely be a wispy fog as you arrive and start getting ready.
Don't be fooled by the 7 a.m. temperature when you get out of your car. Particularly if you are doing the half, you have to remember you are going to be out there for a while.
Chip Allman, the former race director of the half marathon, gave me some solid advice once. Don't dress so that you will be comfortable during the first mile. Dress one layer lighter than you think you need, and you will be comfortable for the whole rest of race.
Runners and walkers burn a lot of calories during the race. A calorie is actually the measurement of how much energy it takes to heat something up. You will use a lot of energy and thus burn a lot of calories propelling your way down the road Saturday. This will heat you up. A lot.
When you are running on the Parkersburg Ohio River Trail (PORT) you will be running along the river. Depending on how warm the water is, and how cold the air is, you could experience some fog along this portion of the trail. This could make things seem a little muggy between miles two and five.
By the time you get to the top of Fort Boreman Park, the sun will have likely burned most of the fog off. A pair of lightweight running sunglasses would likely be handy about this point.
As you warm up and turn into a clammy mess, you might be questioning your choice of socks. If your feet are not used to long distances, wet feet could lead to blisters if you picked up a pair that is able to rub your skin back and forth.
Remarkably, after more than two decades of half marathon the weather has been fairly consistent. A little cool at the start, a slight cloud cover that burns off and then warm to very warm weather the rest of the morning. It has never rained in those years during the race. Ironically during COVID-19 a group of runners ran an unofficial race and got hit with a downpour during race time.
If you see me on a golf cart and want to throw the long sleeve T-shirt that you thought you needed on, go ahead. It will be parked at the finish line later.
Art Smith is co-director of the Parkersburg News and Sentinel Races and the online manager for the newspaper.