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🇦🇺 Australia /Environment & Climate

Warming climate forcing marathon changes to keep runners cool

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Marathon organizers are adapting to rising global temperatures driven by climate change, which make running conditions dangerous.
  • Races are shifting start times earlier, changing dates, and even offering shorter course options to mitigate heat risks.
  • Despite these changes, organizers prioritize runner safety, acknowledging the challenges posed by increasingly warm weather.

Marathon organizers are increasingly altering race conditions to protect runners from dangerous heat, a direct consequence of climate change. Paul Grinvalds, who has run 114 marathons, notes that temperatures above 16 degrees Celsius (61 F) are challenging for runners, as the body struggles to cool down during exertion.

To combat these risks, race directors are rescheduling events, opting for earlier start times, and sometimes allowing participants to shorten their runs. The Sioux Falls marathon, for example, moved from August to September after canceling its 2024 race due to extreme heat. Similarly, marathons in Ohio, Arkansas, and Southern California have adopted earlier morning starts.

One thing about marathoners is typically we're kind of stubborn. So if we have a goal and it's hot, a lot of times we're still going to try to do that goal, which is just stupid because you're almost guaranteed to have a very painful experience.

— Paul GrinvaldsA marathon runner describes the mindset that can lead participants to push through dangerous heat.

In Los Angeles, organizers offered participants the option to finish after 18 miles while still receiving a finisher's medal. Although less than 5% took this option and only 14 of 27,000 runners required hospital treatment, the decision sparked online debate. Meg Treat, a spokesperson for the marathon, defended the choice, emphasizing runner safety as the primary concern.

We welcome the feedback and it's certainly something that caused a lot of discussion, but when we're grading ourselves on it, it has to do with how safe our runners were on the day of the event and we're very happy with the outcome.

— Meg TreatA spokesperson for the Long Beach Marathon defends the decision to offer a shorter course option due to warm conditions.

The Twin Cities Marathon faced a devastating cancellation in 2023 due to weather. This led to an analysis of weather patterns, prompting a permanent shift of the race to later in October. Race director Ed Whetham believes this change increases the likelihood of optimal running conditions, stating, "We'll take a 39-degree (4C) start over a 70-degree (21C) start."

These adjustments come as the contiguous U.S. experienced its warmest July on record, and 2024 was the Earth's hottest year. The World Meteorological Organization's data underscores the escalating trend of rising global temperatures, forcing endurance events to adapt to a new climate reality.

We'll take a 39-degree (4C) start over a 70-degree (21C) start.

— Ed WhethamThe race director of the Twin Cities Marathon explains the preference for cooler temperatures after rescheduling the event.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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