L.A. MARATHON / DAILY REPORT : A Perfect Day Depends Upon Who You Ask

Sunday’s weather should provide pleasant viewing conditions for the Los Angeles Marathon. For participants, however, the unseasonably warm temperatures prompt words of caution from the marathon’s medical staff.

It is expected to be clear and warm Sunday, with the temperature reaching about 80 degrees.

Perfect weather for a marathon is “miserable, temperature of 55-60, light drizzle, a cloudy day,” said Sonny Cobble, medical commissioner of the L.A. Marathon.

Cobble advises runners to drink water and run slower under the warmer conditions.

“Average one swallow of water every two minutes,” Cobble said.

That means the average runner, running a mile every 10 minutes, should pick up a cup of water at every other water station.

Average runners should not mimic the elite runners along the course in battling the heat.

“The elite runners run with the best of scientific as well as voodoo technology,” Cobble said. “What you’re going to see is front-runners dumping (water) on their heads. That’s entirely wrong.”

It is best, according to Cobble, to drink the water.

Air quality and wind are not expected to present problems.

“(Air quality) is usually a negligible factor because traffic is shut down to zilch and they run early in the day, before peak air pollutants,” Cobble said.

Wind typically picks up in the late afternoon. For those few who might still be ambling through the last part of the race, Cobble cautions that it could cause chilling.

There will be six medical-aid stations along the course, and a medical tent and massage facility at the finish.