Winter heatwave causes concern for high schoolers running LA Marathon

FOX 11 - It's running hot in the southland as students at Blair High School train for the LA Marathon.

When asked if the teen runners wanted to practice in the 90 degree heat, the answer was a no.

"It's good for us, but it's not good for our skin and we get tired," Junior Indie Vargas said.

"This weather for running is not the best," Senior Ulises Reyes said.

The Vikings along with about 2,800 LAUSD students are part of "Students Run LA" (SRLA) and will be running the 26.2 miles through Los Angeles on Valentines Day.

"We haven't really trained in hot weather," Junior Massiela Nolasco said.

This year the LA Marathon is a month earlier than last year, but with the untimely heatwave ringing in 90 degree temperatures it's apparently not going to make a difference.

"It is incredibly hot and I thought the whole point of moving the marathon to February was so it would be cooler, and the weather's getting horrible," Nolasco said.

Coach Veronica Yepez says she's making sure her students stay hydrated as the "winter weather" turns hot.

"We thought the weather would be cooler, but that's not the case. They're getting hydration reminders [texted to their phones] every two hours to make sure they drink their water," Yepez said.

Yepez says today's practice was short as their entering a taper before the big race, but she still worries the abnormally high temperatures may hurt their performance and health.

"We want them to be rested and well hydrated on Sunday;" Yepez said, "we want the to be well prepared and safe."

The National Weather Service says the heatwave will last through the weekend. Officials are driving everyone, including runners, to stay hydrated and use sunscreen while out in the heat.