SCRANTON, Pa. — The 27th Steamtown Marathon is on Sunday. Organizers are preparing for the event and offer advice to runners on the conditions.
"Highly regarded across the country, it's a Boston Marathon qualifier, so that brings a lot of the runners here," said Jim Cummings, assistant race director of the Steamtown Marathon.
But this year, there may be some unexpected hurdles.
“It's going to be a tough day because it's probably going to rain on Sunday, and it's going to be a little bit warmer than we usually like to see," said Tim Ritchie, owner of National Running Center.
"I think if the residents along the course can come out with their umbrellas maybe and cheer on the runners maybe and keep their spirits up in the rain, I think that'd be really appreciated," said Cummings.
Organizers say they've had good marathon weather for years. This time, one runner isn't going to let the weather rain on his parade.
“You're either trained or untrained. Me as a marathon runner, in the last 16, 18 weeks, it's been raining at least 10, 15 times, and I know what it feels like, but I'm trained for it," said Scott Seymour, Marathon runner.
But he does have some advice for the untrained.
“Moisture-wicking fabrics, wear waterproof fabrics, know that you might shed; wear a lighter piece of clothing that you could shed that you could put on or take off, depending on where you are in the race," said Seymour.
Although the weather may not be ideal for a marathon, organizers expect thousands of people to attend.
“We have exactly 1100 runners registered, and that's about a normal size for us," said Cummings.
"Those thousand runners are going to bring family, so you can probably figure 2.3 people minimum per runner, so you're talking 2500 people coming to the community," said Ritchie.
The first event of the marathon is Saturday at 11 a.m. at Scranton High School. The race itself will start at 8 a.m. Sunday in Forest City, with the finish line in Downtown Scranton.