A Minnesota marathon set to to take place on Sunday was canceled when forecasters predicted conditions that were deemed to be "extreme and dangerous" – but it wasn't due to early snow or extreme cold. Instead, the weather forecast called for highs near 90 degrees, forcing organizers to cancel both the The Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon from Minneapolis to St Paul and a 10-mile race to take place on the same day.
The two events, organized by Twin Cities in Motion, had been expected to draw up to 20,000 runners to the Twin Cites, but in the days leading up to the races there were warnings that conditions could be unsafe and pose the risk of heat related illnesses like heatstroke and dehydration.
The organizers announced the cancellation on Sunday morning, citing dangerous conditions.
"The latest weather forecast update projects record-setting heat conditions that do not allow a safe event for runners, supporters and volunteers," they wrote, adding that going ahead with the event could have wider implications for support crews.
"Extreme heat conditions can tax both runners and our emergency medical response systems. We ask the entire running community to come together for the safety of everyone involved."
Understandably, at such short notice some participants already had their running shoes on and were lined up to race. They told the Minneapolis Star Tribune they would run anyway. Let's hope they had their hydration packs filled to the brim.
