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The Manitoba Marathon was cancelled midway during the race after extreme heat forced organizers to stop the event for runners’ safety.
The race in Winnipeg started Sunday morning as meteorologists warned of high temperatures over 30 degrees, with humidex values above 40 degrees.
Environment Canada had a heat warning in effect for Winnipeg on Sunday and advised residents of especially humid conditions.
In Canada’s biggest cities, vulnerability to rising temperatures may depend on your neighbourhood
Organizers said they were still working to ensure everyone was off the race course as of the early afternoon after they cancelled the event.
“A collective decision … was made to ensure the safety of our runners and volunteers,” read a statement by the organizers on social media.
“Congrats to all of our racers who tied up their laces and headed out.”
The Manitoba Marathon had been warning participants in the days before the event, advising people to not try for a personal best time and to stop if they were feeling unwell because of the forecasted heat.
Environment Canada said temperatures were expected to ease down to the 20s later in the afternoon. In the meantime, it advised all people in the city to drink plenty of water, check on people close to them, and take a cold shower or use air conditioning if feeling the effects of the extreme heat.
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