NYC Triathlon cuts length due to heat wave
NEW YORK - The Verizon New York City Triathlon, scheduled for Sunday, has cut its total length in half due to the extreme heat and humidity baking the region this weekend.
Instead of biking 24.8 miles and running another 6.2 miles, participants will bike just 12.4 miles and run 2.5 miles.
In addition, the first leg of the Duathlon Run is being reduced from 2 miles to 1 mile, and the second leg of the Duathlon Run is being reduced from 6.2 miles to 2.5 miles.
"Due to the high temperatures and excessive heat expected to hit the New York City and Tri-State area this weekend, in collaboration with local officials and meteorologists, we have made the difficult decision to shorten the run and bike portions of Sunday’s Verizon New York City Triathlon," the Triathlon said in a statement on their website. "While it is disappointing to reduce the length of both races, our number one priority is to do all we can to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our competitors, volunteers, medical personnel and spectators."
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New York City is expected to see near-record temperatures on Sunday, with heat indexes reaching over 100 degrees.
Extreme heat forced the cancellation of the race in 2019, while a man who had just finished the Brooklyn Half-Marathon collapsed and died at the finish line in May.
The New York City Triathlon begins Sunday morning at 5:50 a.m. at West 81st Street and the Hudson River, and will finish at the Central Park bandshell.