By Peter Corbett | The Arizona Republic
It could be 40 minutes of hell for runners.
An inaugural Scottsdale Beat the Heat race of 11.22 kilometers is planned for a 2:47 p.m. start on June 22, the day after the summer solstice.
The peculiar race distance, starting time and other race details commemorate Phoenix’s hottest day on record of 122 degrees on June 26, 1990, set at 2:47 p.m. The record high temperature for June 22 is 116 degrees, set in 1988.
“This gives people a chance to show they can handle adversity,” said Perry Edinger, a race organizer and ultramarathon runner. “I think it’s a great idea.”
Sponsored by Professional Medical Transport, an ambulance company, the nearly 7-mile race is intended to create a big summer event that will celebrate the heat and dispel the notion that the Valley is too hot for summer vacations, said Scottsdale public-relations executive Jason Rose, who dreamed up the race.
