BEAT THE HEAT

40% of Marathon Runners Dropped Out of Midnight Race Due to Extreme Heat in Qatar

The IAAF world track and field championship marathon had to be held at midnight because of extreme heat in Qatar.

Nearly 40 percent of marathon runners participating in the International Association of Athletics Federations world track and field championships in Qatar dropped out of the final event due to extreme heat. The New York Times reports that the race was held at midnight to take advantage of cooler evening temperatures, which were still 90 degrees when the race took place. Most of the competitions in the world championships are being held in an air-conditioned area, but the 26.2 mile marathon had to be held outside. Organizers had extra medics and water stations, but many of the racers had to drop out during the race. The competition was won by Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya, who completed the marathon in 2 hours 32 minutes 43 seconds.