Runners Gear Up For California International Marathon
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Thousands of runners are set to run the California International Marathon on Sunday. Those 26.2 miles are coming during the brunt of this latest storm.
Come tomorrow, we're expecting a downpour during the marathon, but runners we spoke to say they aren't backing down.
"I'm just going to swim through it," said Katie, a runner.
Mother Nature will try to put a damper on the race as runners make their way from Folsom into downtown Sacramento.
"Once you're wet, you're sort of permanently wet, and that just adds to the discomfort," said Katie.
But there is a calm before the storm.
"We're making sure we get a lot of food on board so we have enough energy to run in the monsoon tomorrow," said Amy, a runner who enjoying a hearty dinner of carbs.
They say running in the rain requires a lot more energy, as well as extra layers.
"You have to make sure you lube up everywhere, a lot of chaffing and lots of blisters with the wet shoes," said Amy.
But none of that has seemed to turn them away. The Citizen Hotel gets a lot of business from runners that come from out of town, but they haven't seen any cancellations.
"If you're tough enough to run 26 miles, you can probably do it in the rain too," said a hotel representative.
Meanwhile, rain or shine, runners say the weather is all part of what makes the experience fun.
"We're just going to enjoy it and embrace the weather and be like kids running in the rain," said Amy.
This race is a Boston Marathon qualifier, so runners are hoping the heavy rain won't slow them down too much and affect their times.
