Heatwave forces cancellation of the annual Twin Cities Marathon

 

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 will 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, told CNN's Omar Jimenez and Amara Walker on Sunday, "We're sorry we had to make this choice, but we believed it was the right one.

"The latest weather forecast update projects record-setting heat conditions that do not allow a safe event for runners, supporters, and volunteers," the organizers said in a statement.

The statement stated that "the safety of participants and the community will always be our top priority." Both runners and our emergency medical response systems can be taxed by extreme heat.

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 knew early on the week of this event that we were expecting warm and humid weather. We have a comprehensive process as we approach a race.

"Overnight, the forecast conditions got even worse, and that's how we had to make the call in the early hours of the morning," 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 am aware of the need for safety precautions; I must choose wisely. But as for myself, I still want to run today," he remarked.