St. George officials are bracing for unprecedented heat as the marathon approaches

ST. GEORGE, Utah – Preparations are underway for Saturday's Saint George Marathon. There is something else that people have to prepare for: the heat.

“This could be one of our hottest marathons ever,” said David Cordero, St. George City marketing and communications director. “We're hoping that everyone is really focused on their own safety out there, staying hydrated, having enough food in their bodies and all that stuff.”

Cordero speaks of unprecedented October heat in St. George as marathon weekend approaches.

Wednesday's high temperature of 101 degrees in St. George marked the first time in October that it reached triple digits anywhere in the state. And the triple-digit numbers are expected to continue through marathon Saturday. But Cordero says the marathon is prepared.

“Every year we do so much to prepare for anything that could happen,” Cordero said. “We have doctors here, we have a lot of nursing support. Our aid stations are always very busy and staffed by very enthusiastic volunteers who are, so to speak, our partners in this race.”

Temperatures are expected to be in the 60s and 70s in the early morning hours after the 7 a.m. start. But the top finishers will likely finish by 9 a.m

“For the elite runners, they’re done before it gets too, too hot,” Cordero said. “For those that last four or five hours, heat will play a role. So we are prepared for anything in this regard.”

Runners will be excluded from the course if they do not finish by 1:00 p.m

Cordero said locals have also become more adept at dealing with major events like the marathon because of traffic closures and longer restaurant wait times.

“These events that we have are a huge economic boon to our city,” he said. “As a result, we have to collect less property tax. People are saving, I think the last calculation was about $1,200 a year in property taxes because of the money coming in from tourists.”

The St. George Marathon has long been the city's largest sporting event. But national and international Ironman triathlons as well as the Huntsman Senior Games have now made major events the norm here. And next week the pros come to the area with the first PGA Tour event in nearby Ivins.

“We went through the fire. We know exactly what to expect,” Cordero said. “We learned lessons along the way.”