The annual Twin Cities Marathon has been postponed owing to the extreme heat in Minneapolis and St. Paul, according to the announcement made by the marathon’s organizers on Sunday morning.
The event, which was scheduled to start at 7 a.m. local time, was predicted to gather 300,000 people.
The National Weather Service predicted that it would get as hot as 91 degrees Fahrenheit, which is unusual for the time of year. Around this time of year, the Minneapolis-St. Paul region’s typical high temperature is 66 degrees.
Charlie Mahler, the race’s communications manager, said to CNN’s Omar Jimenez & Amara Walker on Sunday: “We’re sorry we had to make this decision, yet we knew it was the right one.”
“The latest weather forecast updated projects record-setting heat conditions that prohibit a safe event for runners, supporters, and volunteers,” organizers said in a statement.
According to the statement, “the community’s safety as well as the safety of participants will always be our top priority.” The capacity of our emergency medical response systems is strained in extremely hot weather.
Since the temperatures continued to climb, the organizers had been keeping an eye on the weather for several days, according to Mahler.
“I believe that runners experience a variety of emotions. There are probably some people who are happy that we chose for them. I believe there are others who believe it’s all in your brain and that I can still run under these challenging circumstances.
The race was still going on as of Saturday night, and organizers kept the neighborhood informed as they maintained an eye on the issue.
Mahler stated, “We have an elaborate routine as we approach a race. We were aware early in the week of this race that we would be dealing with warm and muggy circumstances.
We had to make the decision early in the morning since the projected conditions worsened overnight, he continued.
When Matt Anderson learned of the cancellation early on Sunday morning, he was scheduled to participate in the event. The race has been officially canceled, but Anderson told CNN affiliate WCCO that he connected with a group of other runners who had chosen to proceed anyhow.
“I realize the need for safety precautions; we must choose wisely. But as for myself, I still want to run today,” he remarked.