SCRANTON -- It's expected to be an unusually hot day for the Steamtown Marathon this weekend.
While organizers for the marathon were setting up for Sunday's marathon, runners were doing their best to prepare for their journey. The upcoming race is expected to be one of the hotter ones.
"It's going to be a little warmer," said Joseph Kelly of Carbondale. "Preparation is going to be a little different as far as nutrition intake."
The race begins at Forest City High School in Susquehanna County and works its way down to Scranton.
Organizers say they expect at least 1,500 runners for this year's event.
"We are going to be in the 70s maybe even peaking at 80. That's very warm for marathons. We will have 14 official aid stations very well stocked with water and Gatorade," said organizer Jim Cummings.
Kelly says he's been watching his salt intake for the race, the more the better.
"It holds onto the water molecules so that when you are sweating profusely, you don't sweat all the nutrients and electrolytes that you do in the race," he explained.
The race benefits Saint Joseph's Center in Scranton.
R.J. Stiltenpole has a sister there and says he's determined to finish the race no matter what.
"We train in the heat all summer long so you can't let it get into your head too much. You just have to understand it's going to be hot for everybody," Stiltenpole said.
Kelly has run more than 30 marathons and says a key to finishing the race is to not overdo it.
"The weather is going to be what it is going to be on that day and you're going to feel the way you're going to feel on that day, so you really just have to know when you start, if you start slow you figure it out during the race. The marathon is 26.2 miles long so you can adjust."