MBABANE — Runners in this year’s Imbube Marathon must brace for high temperatures on Saturday as the country’s premier road race takes centre stage.
The Eswatini Meteorological Services this afternoon warned of a heatwave that will sweep across the country from Thursday, October 15, to Saturday.
“A heatwave is anticipated to hit the country from Thursday 15th to Saturday 17th, with temperatures rising to 40°C and above 40°C in the Lowveld,” reads the four-day forecast.
The race has attracted over 8 300 runners, of which it has been said 2 500 are international runners, mainly South Africa and Mozambique, although some are from the United States of America and Asia. It will start and finish at Somhlolo National Stadium, Lobamba.
Lobamba is slightly hotter than the capital city, Mbabane, which lies in the highveld.
Mbabane will welcome the 42km runners with temperatures ranging from 21°C to 36°C.
Lobamba’s temperatures lean towards the middleveld, Manzini, whose forecast is at 24°C to 40°C. However, it is expected to become cloudy later in the day.
The marathon features four categories. The 42km race will gun off at 5:30am, with the 21km and 10km setting off together at 6am from Somhlolo. The final race, the 3.3km fun run, will start at 6:30am.
It’s worth noting that running in high temperatures sees the heat take a heavy toll on the body. Runners lose water fast through sweat, which can lead to dehydration, cramp and early fatigue.
Runners are also likely to hit the wall sooner, struggle to keep pace, and risk heat exhaustion if they do not drink enough and pace themselves wisely.
The extreme heat is further expected to affect football, with kick-off times for the MTN Premier League and MulaSport National First Division League likely to be pushed deeper into the evening when it is cooler.
