The Brooklyn Half Marathon is back – and just in time for 22,000-plus runners to get soaked in sweat in summer-like conditions.
The 13.1-mile race will be held in person for the first time since the pandemic began, with runners starting Saturday morning at the Brooklyn Museum and trekking through Prospect Park before ending at the Coney Island boardwalk.
The dash to the finish, however, will come during the first hot-weather event of the year — with temperatures expected to reach 88 degrees on Saturday.
That means celebrity runners – like NBC’s “Today” weatherman Al Roker, “Good Morning America” anchor T.J. Holmes and “Bachelorette” alum Zac Clark – will need to stay hydrated while protecting themselves from the hot spell.
“As heat and humidity increase, so too do the risks of heat-related medical issues,” according to the New York Road Runners group, which urged runners to respect their limits.
“Do not aim for a personal best on a warm, sticky day, particularly if you are not used to such conditions,” NYRR’s website reads.
More than 40 members of the NYC Ukrainian Running Club are also participating in the race’s in-person return, as well as a Prospect Heights couple celebrating their five-year anniversary.
In 2017, avid runners Krissa Cetner and Alex Salazar stopped six miles into the Brooklyn Half to get married and then finished the race. They’ll be wearing the same tuxedo and bridal shirts Saturday as they did years ago, this time with their 3-year-old son, Myles, cheering them on.
At least two runners, however, won’t be heeding the call to not aim for personal bests amid the higher-than-usual temps. Marie-Ange Brumelot, of Queens, and her father are gunning for the Guinness World Record for the fastest half marathon by a parent and child.
Brumelot, who represented France at the 2020 World Athletics Half Marathon Championships, boasts a half-marathon time of 1:14 — or 12 minutes behind the women’s world record.
Guaranteed entries for the 40th running of the race will be closed at 5 p.m. Friday, but the whole family can get involved in race-day activities, including a Boardwalk Kids Run for youngsters ages 8 to 18.
“Since 1981, even before half marathons were popular, the Brooklyn Half has been taking place every year and is now the highlight of NYRR’s year-round presence in Brooklyn, which also includes programs for youth, seniors and the entire community,” race director Ted Metellus said in a statement.