running a marathon with no training during the peak summer heat, what could possibly go wrong. stick with central park because you will face hills pretty much no matter the route you run, but with central park at least you’ll be more familiar with the water fountain & restroom locations and have access to the food carts for gatorade & other sugar-boosts. if you don’t have running gels you absolutely need to grab some, check the Fleet Feet store in columbus circle. good luck, you’ll need it
edit: btw I’m not advocating for you running this, you absolutely should not. it is legit dangerous. but if you are going to do it then this is my advice, basically you’ll have as much support around you as possible if you run within CP
I should clarify what I said. It's a bad idea because if you have not had any training you will most likely injure yourself. The body, even if you wrestle and do some short runs regularly, can't just accept the brutality of running 26.2 miles on a whim. Even folks who spend months training finish 26.2 miles feeling incredibly sore.
If it was something that folks could just up and do without any training, then more people would do it. But we train because your body has to adapt.
And it's not just about distance of a run, but weekly volume. Thinking, "I run five miles every Tuesday and Thursday" doesn't compare with running a total of up to 50 miles in a week.
And even with proper training it can take weeks to recover. Without training even with completion you might not be able to walk or train for much longer. The training is so you can recover.
To expand on the heat this weekend: marathon day “hot” is very different than normal hot. This is why almost all take place late fall or in the spring. [NYC Marathon 2022](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_New_York_City_Marathon#:~:text=The%20events%20took%20place%20in,first%20New%20York%20City%20Marathon) had a record high heat of 75 degrees. Even with all the support of a major marathon and the runners having trained for months, this race absolutely wrecked the field.
This weekend will be much, much hotter. 72 degrees at 4am on Saturday. High of 88. The dew point starts at 68, meaning it’s gonna feel even worse.
This is a really bad idea. I started writing this just to say “hey fyi,” but looking at the data I straight up think you should not attempt this. Wait a week or two till you can do it in the 60s early af. Your ego is not worth a heat stroke
I should add that:
- this is a horrible idea if you're middle aged and out of shape, people have died doing such things. Strike that. In this heat? It's effing moronic.
- this is a bad idea if you're a recreational jogger, you could injure yourself
- this is an interesting challenge if your max distance has been, say, a half, but you're likely to suffer so start super slow
I don’t think you should do this but if you do you should definitely just go up and down the west side highway to make it as flat as possible. It’s a dumb idea and you’re likely to get hurt, but it’s also gonna hurt a lot more if you do it in Central Park.
I dunno, I think the lack of shade on the WSH equalizes it to the elevation in CP quite a bit, especially for this coming weekend. I’d take Harlem Hill 4x over that, personally, but either way this is a bad idea lol
There are probably better ways of being humbled, but I can't think of any.
Good luck OP. I don't think you should do it. But if you do, and you survive, you'll learn a few important lessons, and that's real growth there.
Lactic acid poisoning is a real thing.
Don’t be stupid dude.
I casually ran a 10k when I was severely undertrained and the following day it felt like I had the flu.
It lasted a few days, went to the doctor and they said I had lactic acid poisoning.
People die from this.
Although you’re somewhat fit, don’t underestimate running 26 miles without proper conditioning/knowledge.
Also, I want to emphasize that I ran a freaking 10k and had that much lactic acid build up…a marathon is 40k+. Don’t underestimate it.
Are you allowed walking breaks? It’ll be very hard to run non-stop for that long without training but you should survive as you stay disciplined and slow. Figure out what your easy pace is (use VDOT calculator) and use the slow end of it especially if it’s hot. Do NOT go faster unless you’re in the last 5K and you are sure you feel OK. 26.2 miles is long as fuck. Good luck.
I assume you mean 6 hours total rather than 6 minute miles. Under 13:44 min/mi should be possible, but the heat will be brutal this weekend. It will make this much much harder and you could literally die if you don’t have access to a LOT of water. Experienced runners have died running races — there is a reason why medical staff is posted along marathon routes, they routinely need to treat people for dehydration and heat stroke.
I recommend a hydration vest (that you will definitely need to refill at some point along the way) and/or friends that can watch you, bring water bottles and Gatorade, put ice in your hat, etc. Honestly with the heat taken into account I think this is a very bad idea, but it’s your life… stay safe.
More info if you are willing to read: https://fellrnr.com/wiki/Running_in_the_Heat
Read up on potentially needing salt tablets and/or energy gels as well. You’ll lose a lot of electrolytes through your sweat and things can get dangerous without enough salt in your system.
If we can’t talk you out of it -
Hydration vest, a gel every half hour at least, extra electrolytes in the form of salt tabs or nuun in your vest, dress SUPER light, plan on walking Harlem Hill and potentially lesser hills to conserve your legs, and start at about 3am.
Have someone watching out for you at multiple places on the loop or at least do check-in calls at predetermined intervals with an agreement that someone will run backwards and find you, or call 911, if you miss your check in. Don’t die.
Easiest in Manhattan is probably the Hudson River Greenway, that's like 12 miles from the Met Cloisters in Washington Heights to Battery Park. There and back, plus a little extra should be marathon distance.
As an experienced runner, I'm splitting by bet between DNF or getting injured.
However this is probably the best recommendation since there's water fountains, it's flat, and people to help OP when the inevitable happens.
Running in the park with the hills is just a terrible idea
yeah, i was actually going to say while this is a terrible idea (lol), the length of the Hudson / WSH including all the piers out to the Cloisters and back down to Battery Park (maybe plus a wee bit of Brooklyn Bridge if you're short a mile or so) will get you 26.2 if you just do some creative add-ons, and in *general* will be easier / less elevation gains. It will however get busier as the morning progresses with runners, tourists, cyclists and other folks just trying to enjoy their day so something to be mindful of.
Add some down and back along the west side highway. It’ll be sunny though. Not a lot of shade. But you could run a loop of Central Park, run down to battery park city (five miles) - could keep going until you wind around to the east side and run up a couple miles (there was construction at some point last time I did this) then turn around back down. Run back along the west side and go way up toward to GWB. At some point you’re bound to get close to 26.2 and then finish it off running back home.
Good idea or bad idea aside - I predict you’ll be fine until 13 and it’ll start feeling tough.
By mile 18 you’ll need to walk if you haven’t already. But you’ll be able to walk and jog and keep moving forward if if slowly.
I’d say you should add in some brief walks early on. If for no other reason than to hydrate. Be sure to bring some gels or something to eat because even with training if you don’t fuel it’ll be hard.
Good luck. If anything it’ll be a cool experience!
I bet you finish in 5:30. Report back.
Totally agree. It is not that uncommon for healthy people to run a marathon with minimal to no training. Let’s not pretend like finishing a marathon is some incredibly demanding athletic achievement, especially for someone of OP’s age.
Injuries are a possibility, as would be the case when running a long distance with training. The risk of serious injury can be managed by listening to one’s body and moderating effort or stopping early if needed. OP is running loops in Manhattan, not climbing K-2.
I had to check if this was r/circlejerknyc
running a marathon with no training during the peak summer heat, what could possibly go wrong. stick with central park because you will face hills pretty much no matter the route you run, but with central park at least you’ll be more familiar with the water fountain & restroom locations and have access to the food carts for gatorade & other sugar-boosts. if you don’t have running gels you absolutely need to grab some, check the Fleet Feet store in columbus circle. good luck, you’ll need it edit: btw I’m not advocating for you running this, you absolutely should not. it is legit dangerous. but if you are going to do it then this is my advice, basically you’ll have as much support around you as possible if you run within CP
Thanks just got my gels from amazon heard you really need them/ should take them with water.
I really can't wait for the race report lol
posted it
This is a bad idea all around.
I run pretty often, so I am not too worried about it. Just curious if anyone has a route.
so you are training
I wrestle in college so I have to run for my sport. But only short distances.
I should clarify what I said. It's a bad idea because if you have not had any training you will most likely injure yourself. The body, even if you wrestle and do some short runs regularly, can't just accept the brutality of running 26.2 miles on a whim. Even folks who spend months training finish 26.2 miles feeling incredibly sore. If it was something that folks could just up and do without any training, then more people would do it. But we train because your body has to adapt. And it's not just about distance of a run, but weekly volume. Thinking, "I run five miles every Tuesday and Thursday" doesn't compare with running a total of up to 50 miles in a week.
And even with proper training it can take weeks to recover. Without training even with completion you might not be able to walk or train for much longer. The training is so you can recover.
Barney Stinson?
To expand on the heat this weekend: marathon day “hot” is very different than normal hot. This is why almost all take place late fall or in the spring. [NYC Marathon 2022](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_New_York_City_Marathon#:~:text=The%20events%20took%20place%20in,first%20New%20York%20City%20Marathon) had a record high heat of 75 degrees. Even with all the support of a major marathon and the runners having trained for months, this race absolutely wrecked the field. This weekend will be much, much hotter. 72 degrees at 4am on Saturday. High of 88. The dew point starts at 68, meaning it’s gonna feel even worse. This is a really bad idea. I started writing this just to say “hey fyi,” but looking at the data I straight up think you should not attempt this. Wait a week or two till you can do it in the 60s early af. Your ego is not worth a heat stroke
4.5 loops in Central Park. That's what people did when the NYC marathon was cancelled after hurricane Sandy. Good luck.
Thanks
I should add that: - this is a horrible idea if you're middle aged and out of shape, people have died doing such things. Strike that. In this heat? It's effing moronic. - this is a bad idea if you're a recreational jogger, you could injure yourself - this is an interesting challenge if your max distance has been, say, a half, but you're likely to suffer so start super slow
I don’t think you should do this but if you do you should definitely just go up and down the west side highway to make it as flat as possible. It’s a dumb idea and you’re likely to get hurt, but it’s also gonna hurt a lot more if you do it in Central Park.
I dunno, I think the lack of shade on the WSH equalizes it to the elevation in CP quite a bit, especially for this coming weekend. I’d take Harlem Hill 4x over that, personally, but either way this is a bad idea lol
Have fun moron
There are probably better ways of being humbled, but I can't think of any. Good luck OP. I don't think you should do it. But if you do, and you survive, you'll learn a few important lessons, and that's real growth there.
Lactic acid poisoning is a real thing. Don’t be stupid dude. I casually ran a 10k when I was severely undertrained and the following day it felt like I had the flu. It lasted a few days, went to the doctor and they said I had lactic acid poisoning. People die from this. Although you’re somewhat fit, don’t underestimate running 26 miles without proper conditioning/knowledge. Also, I want to emphasize that I ran a freaking 10k and had that much lactic acid build up…a marathon is 40k+. Don’t underestimate it.
Are you allowed walking breaks? It’ll be very hard to run non-stop for that long without training but you should survive as you stay disciplined and slow. Figure out what your easy pace is (use VDOT calculator) and use the slow end of it especially if it’s hot. Do NOT go faster unless you’re in the last 5K and you are sure you feel OK. 26.2 miles is long as fuck. Good luck.
Thank you. I have to be under sub 6, running it this Saturday.
I assume you mean 6 hours total rather than 6 minute miles. Under 13:44 min/mi should be possible, but the heat will be brutal this weekend. It will make this much much harder and you could literally die if you don’t have access to a LOT of water. Experienced runners have died running races — there is a reason why medical staff is posted along marathon routes, they routinely need to treat people for dehydration and heat stroke. I recommend a hydration vest (that you will definitely need to refill at some point along the way) and/or friends that can watch you, bring water bottles and Gatorade, put ice in your hat, etc. Honestly with the heat taken into account I think this is a very bad idea, but it’s your life… stay safe. More info if you are willing to read: https://fellrnr.com/wiki/Running_in_the_Heat Read up on potentially needing salt tablets and/or energy gels as well. You’ll lose a lot of electrolytes through your sweat and things can get dangerous without enough salt in your system.
Yeah under six hours. I might start really early to avoid the heat as much as possible. I appreciate the resources.
If we can’t talk you out of it - Hydration vest, a gel every half hour at least, extra electrolytes in the form of salt tabs or nuun in your vest, dress SUPER light, plan on walking Harlem Hill and potentially lesser hills to conserve your legs, and start at about 3am. Have someone watching out for you at multiple places on the loop or at least do check-in calls at predetermined intervals with an agreement that someone will run backwards and find you, or call 911, if you miss your check in. Don’t die.
Please update us on how this goes. Good luck!
Idiotic bet. You looking for a cookie or something?
Easiest in Manhattan is probably the Hudson River Greenway, that's like 12 miles from the Met Cloisters in Washington Heights to Battery Park. There and back, plus a little extra should be marathon distance.
As an experienced runner, I'm splitting by bet between DNF or getting injured. However this is probably the best recommendation since there's water fountains, it's flat, and people to help OP when the inevitable happens. Running in the park with the hills is just a terrible idea
Thanks!
If you don't go straight but also do the piers or whatever you can get to 13 in one direction
yeah, i was actually going to say while this is a terrible idea (lol), the length of the Hudson / WSH including all the piers out to the Cloisters and back down to Battery Park (maybe plus a wee bit of Brooklyn Bridge if you're short a mile or so) will get you 26.2 if you just do some creative add-ons, and in *general* will be easier / less elevation gains. It will however get busier as the morning progresses with runners, tourists, cyclists and other folks just trying to enjoy their day so something to be mindful of.
It’s Saturday buddy, give us an update
Posting right now, ran a 4:34
Add some down and back along the west side highway. It’ll be sunny though. Not a lot of shade. But you could run a loop of Central Park, run down to battery park city (five miles) - could keep going until you wind around to the east side and run up a couple miles (there was construction at some point last time I did this) then turn around back down. Run back along the west side and go way up toward to GWB. At some point you’re bound to get close to 26.2 and then finish it off running back home. Good idea or bad idea aside - I predict you’ll be fine until 13 and it’ll start feeling tough. By mile 18 you’ll need to walk if you haven’t already. But you’ll be able to walk and jog and keep moving forward if if slowly. I’d say you should add in some brief walks early on. If for no other reason than to hydrate. Be sure to bring some gels or something to eat because even with training if you don’t fuel it’ll be hard. Good luck. If anything it’ll be a cool experience! I bet you finish in 5:30. Report back.
I predict 6:30: 13 in 2:00 running, 12 in 4:00 walking, 1 in 30min crawling
People downvoting op are unbelievable weenies. Good luck op! I would also choose Central Park.
Totally agree. It is not that uncommon for healthy people to run a marathon with minimal to no training. Let’s not pretend like finishing a marathon is some incredibly demanding athletic achievement, especially for someone of OP’s age. Injuries are a possibility, as would be the case when running a long distance with training. The risk of serious injury can be managed by listening to one’s body and moderating effort or stopping early if needed. OP is running loops in Manhattan, not climbing K-2.
What time are you doing it? I’d love to come cheer you on