Superstitious athletes are shelling out cash to online spellcasters in a last-ditch bid to cool down Sunday’s New York City Marathon.
Jessica O’Neill Lyublinksy, a first-time marathoner, dropped $20 on a “perfect weather” spell from an Etsy witch after watching friends commission similar magic for weddings and other milestone moments. She also requested a side of self-confidence and health for race day.
“Half of running a marathon, you need a little bit of delusion to get yourself through it, so I’m pretty confident in the spell! Why not?” she said.
The Pennsylvania State University alum figured the gamble was minimal given her investment since June — hundreds of dollars on sneakers, fuel packs, clothes and roughly $300 just for entry. “I figured I’ve been training for this since June and what could hurt?” she said. She has since spotted what she considers signs: a random shop yielded a throwaway sweater bearing the name of her favorite college bar from her Penn State days. “Manifestation! And some weird things and coincidences have been happening since I hired her,” she added.
Lorra Barile, founder of the Reckless Run Crew in Greenpoint, has become something of a proselytizer for the mystical approach. After checking the forecast, she encouraged three fellow runners to hire Mirage Mages for a “good weather spell.” She has run several marathons but is sitting out this year’s 50th annual race.
“I’ve had a three out of four success rate, which is pretty good!” Barile said. Her conversion came in June, when rain threatened the club’s annual gathering. “It’s only six dollars. So, why not? Okay, I’ll trade off my morning latte for that!” she said. The spell apparently cleared skies not only for her event but, she noted, for the Knicks Parade. She was inspired to turn to the vendor out of what she called “desperation.”
The meteorological reality the spellcasters hope to bend is formidable. Sunday is forecast to be warm and sunny with very little wind, capping a dry stretch that will persist until light sprinkles arrive on Election Day, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bill Degger. Temperatures will hover near 50 degrees when the first wave starts at 8 a.m. But will climb steadily to a high of 63 degrees by 3 p.m.
That projected peak would make this year the third-hottest marathon of the past decade, trailing only 2022’s scorching 74 degrees and 2023’s 65 degrees. Some experts consider low 40s optimal for performance, making the expected conditions a genuine handicap for racers chasing personal bests.
The warmth pales against historical extremes, however. Runners in 1979 competed through 80-degree heat, the hottest on record, while 1995 brought the opposite misery: temperatures near 40 degrees with wind chill in the 20s. The Chicago Marathon earlier this month subjected its field to similarly anguishing warmth, matching the 63-degree highs now threatening New York.
The Etsy witch phenomenon represents a broader cultural thread of athletes seeking psychological edges through ritual, however unscientific. For O’Neill Lyublinksy, the $20 outlay buys something more concrete than meteorological intervention. “And the $20 is a small price to pay for the peace of mind,” she said, stacking it against her gear and registration costs.
The first wave of runners steps off at 8 a.m. Sunday in Staten Island.