New York City Marathon Weather and How it Affects Results

What weather conditions will runners face while running Sunday's New York City Marathon? And to what extent can different temperatures impacts results? According to our analysis of New York City Marathon Results and weather between 2000 and 2016, race day weather clearly can influence your overall performance.

Quick observations

• The trend between 2000 and 2016 suggests an expected finish time 45 seconds slower for each one degree increase in temperature, but variations are common
• One can confidently suggest that average finish times will be below 4:29 if temperatures average 48 degrees or less
• When things get hot, runners suffer; as temperatures reach and exceed 60 degrees, finish times soar beyond 4:37

Note: Each red dot represents a marathon year, plotted at the intersection of average temperature and finish time for that year,

For more, see our complete New York City Marathon Race Coverage.

Ironman Kona 2017 Results Analysis: Finish Times, Splits, by Age Group, vs Previous Years

Ironman Kona 2017 saw a record 2235 athletes cover the grueling 140.6 mile course, finishing in an overall average time of 11:39.

• It was tougher than the average 11:31 finish time spanning the 16-year period 2002 to 2017, 
• A near-record 132 athletes did not finish, more than 80 qualifiers did not start  
• Average splits indicate athletes suffered most on the run -- 1:11 swim, 5:49 bike, 4:27 run
• Things could have been worse -- a far cry from 2004 finishers' 12:06 experience in the wind-laced, blast-furnace heat, 
• But it was a long way from what would be considered fast, a full 25 minutes slower than the wind-aided 11:06 average time turned in by finishers in 2013. 

We dove into details of the 2017 race, overall, by split, by division, and did side-by-side comparisons across each dimension going as far back as 2002. For extra credit, we conducted a bike vs run correlation analysis, illustrating the degree to which bike speed strategy impacted run splits for each athlete.

For more, see our Comprehensive Historical Ironman Kona Coverage.

Train Safely: How Many Runner/Pedestrian Accidents Each Year?

By Raymond Britt

We all train as safely as possible, whether cycling, running or walking. Unfortunately, accidents happen, a staggering number of accidents, actually. Here, we lay out the details, as collected by Department of Transportation and related government agencies.

As you take in the numbers, we suggest you consider your personal safety with reflective gear like this Running Safety Kit, a new product in development, currently raising funds on Kickstarter.

Accident Statistics: Pedestrian -- Walking, Running, Stationary

In 2012, Department of Transportation stats reported 67,000 'Pedestrian' (Walk, Run, Stationary) accidents requiring a trip to the hospital, While data specific to runner accidents were not reported, we can get a better sense of the proportion of runners, based on type of accident and time of day. We'll make an unofficial estimate of 35,000 runners with injuries requiring a hospital trip.

Of the most frequent reasons for reported injuries, runners are likely to have higher representation in the 'tripped on uneven/cracked sidewalk' (24%) and 'hit by car' (12%) categories. Yes, there are other 'tripped' categories, but I'd venture more walkers than runners fit that category.

Time of Day is paints an even clearer picture of the degree to which runners are seriously injured. Out of the 67,000 injuries to Pedestrians (remember, walkers, runners, stationary), the injury time of day shows peak times are after dark, when I'd argue a far more number of runners are training than walkers taking a stroll.

How to Improve Safety on the Run at Night? Most runners are aware that reflective gear should be worn after dark. But, honestly, most don't take that added safety precaution.

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Accident Statistics: Cycling

All Reported Accidents = 321,000 = 158,000 men and 163,000 women. Note that these numbers are most certainly understated; many more accidents are not formally reported.

Serious cycling accidents requiring a trip to the hospital = 45,000 = 36,000 men and 9,000 women. It's remarkable to see the rate of men involved in serious accidents, at 22%, far exceed the 6% rate for women.

See the following pie chart, distributing causes of cycling injuries. Notably, 29% or 13,500, are hit by cars. But a majority of the injuries, according to this data, appear to result from some form of rider error. Many of these can be prevented.