If you can it may be a great idea to find a race or plan a time trial for June 29, 2024, which is being dubbed "International PR Day" by some running media outlets.
On that day there will be a rare celestial alignment of Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus directly opposite of the Sun in relation to the earth. While the Sun's gravitational effect on the Earth is immensely stronger than that of any of the planets, the alignment of the solar system's 3 largest planets on the opposite side of the earth from the sun will make for a very real, but small, effect on the Earth's gravity while the alignment happens. Scientists are estimating its effect will be a lessening of earth's gravity by 0.5% to 1.0% on that day. This will be the 1st such alignment in nearly 430 years.
Multiple space agencies and corporations are planning satellite launches for that day as the fuel cost required to reach orbit will be reduced by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Similarly the gravitational reduction on that day will make athletics marginally easier and at the highest levels of the sport should in theory make personal bests, area, national and world records more likely. Incidentally this date corresponds to the 9th day in the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in which the women's LJ, 200m, SP and 10k are being held as well as the men's Discus, and 200m, making some track fans excited to see records fall. No word from the USATF if the timing was planned to help Noah Lyles take down Usain Bolt's 200m WR.
Do you have any races planned for that day? I am heading to my local track to do a 5,000 meter time trial with a few training mates at 9:09 AM Eastern Time (U.S.) which is the peak of the alignment. Anyone else have anything similar planned. Any word of any major European track or road races being planned for that day or moved to that day?
#InternationalPRDay