Anyone who watched the Olympic marathon trials on television last week can tell you — many of the runners were suffering in the heat.
But Springfield's Kim Reed experienced first hand the pain that comes with running 26.2 miles in mid-70 degree temperatures.
"I really struggled," Reed said. "I remember seeing my parents and husband at mile 20 and thinking, 'I don't know if I can get around that loop again. They gave me a pat on the back and gave me encouragement.
"That is when it started getting very hard for me."
The top three male and top three female finishers will represent the United States in the 2016 Olympic marathon in Rio de Janeiro.