NEW YORK– Runners and spectators at the TCS New York City Marathon hope for perfect weather, but with global warming, that’s becoming increasingly difficult to achieve.

There will be millions of spectators and tens of thousands of novice runners braving the course, as well as a handful of elite athletes battling for first place.

“We’re looking for morning lows of 30 to 40 degrees, hopefully no higher than the mid-50s – 52, 53 degrees seems to be the ideal temperature,” said Ben Delaney, director of training programs and operations of the NYRR.

But this pure air so sought after by runners may not be present for the marathons of the future. As our climate changes, so does fall.

On average, New York City is experiencing a week and a half of higher than normal fall days compared to 1970. And that’s having serious consequences for runners.

“If you want the average to go up – when you do a marathon hot by a degree or two, especially if you look at the humidity, it’s going to change how people sweat, how they evaporate the sweat and then how they finish a race,” said ABC News meteorologist Ginger Zee.

For runners who have spent months or even years training, they have only one goal: the finish line in Central Park. And a hotter-than-usual marathon day could hurt their chances of making it. Nobody wants that. So what can they do to prepare?

“The hat is always good, it keeps the sun off your face. It keeps the sun off your face, off the top of your head,” Delaney said. “Don’t miss a hydration station… You need water every time. Whether you drink it or put it on your body… because you need to keep your body cool.”

Sustainability and mitigating the harmful effects of climate change is a primary focus of marathon organizers, particularly the newly formed Road Runners for Climate team.

“It’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s a team that cares about the climate, but also likes to run,” says Zee. “There are so many ways to draw attention to things, and I think that’s the point of marathons. Yes, it’s about running, but if you’re not one of the elite runners who are about to win, it’s about supporting something that’s bigger than you.”

Sustainable measures – like raising money to offset the marathon’s carbon emissions, using solar generators to power tents and taking the Staten Island Ferry to the start line are all brand new initiatives being taken by organizers in the goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2040.

They hope these initiatives will allow millions of runners from around the world to travel across the five boroughs in the years to come.

THE TCS New York Marathon 2024 will take place on Sunday, November 3, attracting more than 50,000 runners and will be broadcast live in the New York area on WABC-TV Channel 7 beginning with pre-race coverage at 7:00 a.m.

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