Which SuperHalfs Half Marathon Series Offers the Best Weather?

Have you ever heard of SuperHalfs? If not, let me introduce you to this incredible series of half marathons inspired by the famous Abbott World Marathon Majors circuit. Although SuperHalfs was announced in 2019 and was set to begin in 2020, the pandemic disrupted those plans. The first official race in the SuperHalfs circuit finally took place on March 13, 2022, at the Lisbon Half Marathon.

I promise to write another post about SuperHalfs to dive deeper into the races because I’ve already run 5 out of the 6 and am preparing to officially complete the series in April 2025 in Berlin.

I’ve actually run the Berlin race once before, in the same year it was added to the SuperHalfs. However, the organizers decided that runners who participated that year would need to run it again for it to count towards the series. So, I can confidently share insights about SuperHalfs, having experienced all six races firsthand.

After the Prague race, I decided to delve a bit into how weather affects a runner’s performance. After reading about dew point, humidity, and temperature, I decided to compare my races from 2024 and late 2023. Following mixed results, I concluded that dew point alone cannot fully explain the impact of temperature on a runner. As I noted in my article, temperature data is typically measured in a shaded, open field, while our runner is out in the sun, running through the middle of a city.

I analyzed each race individually, reviewed the weather data, documented how I felt, and compared the results. My goal was to figure out when I should aim for a personal best and when I should simply enjoy the race to avoid ending up at the medical tent. If you’d like to read more, I’ll include a link to the article at the end of this post

Solar Radiation

In the two articles I’ve written about running and temperature, I concluded that the best way to evaluate running conditions during a race is by incorporating solar radiation. Based on this, I proposed the following algorithm:

Steps to Determine Feels-Like Temperature Using Solar Radiation

1. Start with Air Temperature: Take the temperature in the shade.
2. Adjust for Cloud Cover:

• High cloud cover (75% or more): Minimal to no increase in temperature (add 0–3°F or 0–2°C).
• Moderate cloud cover (25–75%): Moderate increase in temperature (add 5–8°F or 3–5°C).
• Low cloud cover (less than 25%): Higher increase in temperature (add 10–15°F or 5–8°C).

3. Refine Adjustment with Solar Radiation (W/m²):

• Low Solar Radiation (0–200 W/m²): Minimal additional increase (add 1–3°F or 0.5–1.5°C).
• Moderate Solar Radiation (200–400 W/m²): Moderate additional increase (add 4–6°F or 2–3°C).
• High Solar Radiation (400–600 W/m²): Higher additional increase (add 7–10°F or 3.5–5.5°C).
• Very High Solar Radiation (600+ W/m²): Significant additional increase (add 10–15°F or 5–8°C).

Who wins the weather race?

Let’s apply the above algorithm to the SuperHalfs races, starting from 2022 up to the present. While this only covers three years, I believe it will be enough to reveal a meaningful pattern.

Thanks to Visual Crossing, we have access to historical temperature data. In Europe, things are a bit simpler — almost all the races start at 10 AM. Don’t ask me why; it’s just how it is.

Of the six SuperHalfs half marathons, three take place in the spring, while the other three are held in the fall. We’ll compare them in these two groups to try and identify the best race for spring and the best race for fall.

Spring races in the SuperHalfs series

There are three races that take place by the first weekend of April. While Lisbon is held in March, Berlin and Prague occur on the same weekend — Prague on Saturday and Berlin on Sunday.

If your goal is to complete the SuperHalfs series as quickly as possible without focusing on finish times, you could run both races in one weekend. I’ve even seen a few examples of people doing this online.

As a recreational runner, even though the Lisbon race is marketed as one of the fastest half marathons in the world, it can be quite challenging due to unfavorable weather conditions. While professional runners may not feel much of an impact, recreational runners will likely notice the difference. I ran Lisbon in 2024 and can say that the second half of the race felt particularly tough because of the weather.

On the other hand, both Berlin and Prague offer excellent opportunities for achieving a great time. I ran Berlin in 2023 and Prague in 2024, and while Berlin provided ideal conditions, I had the misfortune of facing extreme heat in Prague, as reflected in the data shared above.

If I were to rank the SuperHalfs spring races, my list would be as follows:

1. Berlin
2. Prague
3. Lisbon

All three races are beautiful, but it’s good to know where it makes the most sense to push for a personal best!

Autumn races in the SuperHalfs series

While it’s generally expected for spring races to be warmer than those in the fall, surprises can still happen when running in Copenhagen, Cardiff, or Valencia.

Looking at the table below, it’s clear that the Copenhagen race is becoming progressively warmer. I ran in Copenhagen in 2023, and I can honestly say it felt hot. It won’t be my favorite race, that’s for sure.

I ran Cardiff in 2023 and Valencia in 2024, and in both races, I had rainy weather that suited me perfectly. I have great memories from both events — in Cardiff, I clocked 1:45, while in Valencia, with better training, I achieved a PB of 1:42.

Based on the data from the last three races, it seems Cardiff rarely surprises when it comes to weather. You can almost always expect overcast skies, ideal for achieving good times, although the course itself isn’t particularly conducive to fast finishes.

Considering these factors, my ranking for the fall races is:

1. Valencia
2. Cardiff
3. Copenhagen

The Best of the Best

I wholeheartedly recommend the SuperHalfs series to everyone. However, if you’re aiming for a PB in one of these races, here’s my personal ranking:

1. Valencia
2. Berlin
3. Cardiff
4. Prague
5. Lisbon
6. Copenhagen

This is just my opinion after having run all six races.

If you’d like to read more about weather and running, I recommend the following article:

https://therunningcat.blog/heat-and-running-part-2/

Wishing you lots of success and happy running!