Chicago Marathon Runs out of Water
My sister tried to run the Chicago Marathon on Sunday. She was not allowed to finish.
Of the 36,000 runners that started the race, 24,000 were allowed to finish. According to official sources, The Chicago Marathon was canceled due to high heat.
One runner died and over 300 were treated, many for heat related conditions. The conditions were undeniably hot, however when the race was canceled around 11:30, it was about 84 degrees. The peak of 88F didn’t occur until 4PM - well after the race would have ended. The high temperatures were predicted throughout the week, so organizers should not have been surprised.
Race organizers insist that there was plenty of water available for runners, but my sister had a very different experience. She found no water at the mile4 water stop and consistent shortages throughout the first half of the race.
Canceling the race was the correct decision at the time, however the water shortages are inexcusable. The shortages most likely played a huge role in the hospitalizations that occurred and necessitated the canceling of the race.
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It does sound like somebody messed it up, but it’s unlikely anyone will be accountable for it.