Steamy forecast forces schedule change for Komen race

With the first sweltering air settled over the Triangle, organizers of Race for the Cure, scheduled on Saturday, pushed race times earlier to get runners off the road before the heat of the day.

Posted 8:24 p.m. Jun 12, 2015 — Updated 11:29 p.m. Jun 12, 2015

RALEIGH, N.C. — With the first sweltering air settled over the Triangle for the coming weekend, organizers of the Komen North Carolina Triangle to the Coast Race for the Cure, scheduled on Saturday, pushed race times earlier to get runners off the road before the heat of the day.

Saturday's forecast calls for temperatures around 70 degrees at dawn, as the first participants board shuttles from PNC Arena to the Meredith College start/finish line.

The majority of the 10,000 registered runners will participate in the consolidated recreational/competitive 5K, with an 8 a.m. start time. Organizers combined the two races, which in previous years have been run separately.

Glenn Walsh, medical co-chair for the Race for the Cure, recommended that runners start to hydrate Friday night.

"A mixture of water and sports drinks is really, really good," he said. "Also, start your day with a good healthy breakfast and stay away from caffeinated beverges."

The humidity will be dropping as temperatures climb into the 90s.

"The ridge of high pressure we have been talking about all week is upon us, and it will be a feature that will really increase the heat in the coming days," said WRAL Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel. "We have the potential to tie or break old record highs and some locations may even reach 100 degrees early next week."

Water filling stations will dot the race course and the Race Village on the Meredith campus, but participants were encouraged to bring their own water bottles.

"Stay well hydrated with water and take frequent breaks," Fishel advised.

Duke University and Wake County EMS teams will be present at Meredith, and paramedics will be riding the race course to keep an eye on everyone, Walsh said.

"Everybody here is super, super important to us. Not only are they faces of Komen, but they are also part of the cure," Walsh said.

Temperatures will hit 95 degrees on both Saturday and Sunday as drier air builds into the region. By Monday, highs could be in the upper 90s.

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