How Hurricane Helene Could Affect your Weekend Marathon
/Most races this weekend out well outside the path of Helene, but a handful midwestern races could still see strong winds and rain.
Hurricane Helene, what has been described as a potentially catastrophic and life threatening storm, is expected to make landfall in Florida later today or early Friday morning. It's currently a category 1 storm, with sustained winds of 90mph over the Gulf of Mexico at time of writing.
The storm is expected to bring heavy rain, strong winds, and a storm surge of up to 20 feet to the Florida coast. Residents should follow advice given by local officials wherever possible and evacuate if instructed to do so.
Hurricane Helene Effect on Races this Weekend
Helene is expected to continue northward after landfall, slowing down over Tennessee by early Saturday morning. While no races this weekend fall in the direct path of the storm, wind and rain could affect the following races and their schedules on Saturday:
Belleville Main Street Marathon
Belleville, IL, USALuckily Belleville won't get the worst of the storm, but the current forecast could bring in some strong winds, gusting beyond 20mph. While not typically grounds for cancellation, strong winds is one the most impactful weather conditions on finishing time.
Mill Race Marathon
Columbus, IN, USANot as impactful as the winds in Belleville, but Columbus could see some rain later in the race, potentially impacting those runners in the 4+ hour range.
Luckily most races this weekend are outside the storm path, but it's always good to keep an eye on the weather and be on the lookout for announcements from the race director.
Good luck out there!
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