Marathon Pundit: A participant's view of the cancelled Chicago Marathon: UPDATED

I've run and finished each Chicago Marathon since 1990--that's me in a photo taken by Mrs. Marathon Pundit at Mile 24. But obviously this one stands out. Coming into this race I was easily in the worst shape for year's event. Which turned out perhaps to be a blessing. I didn't feel the need to, despite the high heat and humidity, to run a fast race because I was in peak condition.. And as a blogger, I thought I'd kick back, relax, take some photos with my digital camera, and take a "back of the pack" view of America's largest marathon.

When the starting signal went off at 8:00am, it was already in the mid-70s, and by 10:00am, the temperature climbed to 88.

This race was different. Towards the end of any 26 mile race, many runners turn into walkers. At mile two of today's race, I began seeing walkers. As I said, I wasn't worried, I was just viewing my participation as a "fun run."

Taking part in a marathon--or watching one--is a feast for the eyes, as my photographs hopefully portray. The sidelines are pretty entertaining too. The band of the left, Chicago's Gay & Lesbian Marching Band, was playing--no I'm not making this up--"YMCA."

And there are of a fun people in the race--"Bam Bam" on the right, for instance.

"Bam Bam" was dressed for the weather at least.

At about noon, the rest of the rest of the race was cancelled. Runners who hadn't crossed the half-way point, just west of Chicago's Loop, were told to turn back on walk to Grant Park--the starting and end point of the race.

Participants I spoke with were understandably disappointed.

"I trained six months for this." one woman told me.

At Mile 16, I saw my first of about a dozen or so runners sprawled out on the side of the street.

I was at Mile 23 when I heard the race had been cancelled. A police officer told me to "Start walking." I thought he was joking. I kept running. After all, I had trained, sort of, for six months. A block later I first realized the gravity of the situation: I saw my first runner, a young woman in a tie-dyed shirt, getting an on-site IV treatment from a paramedic. This runner was propped up against a chain-link fest, her eyes were closed, and her head slumped. Later in the race, I saw two men getting IVs, their eyes were closed too.

One person, a 35 year-old Michigan man, died during the race. As for the number of runners taken from the race course and finish line areas by ambulances, most of the local media outlets are reporting that over 300 runners were driven away, although ABC 7 Chicago says only 49 have been hospitalized. Chicago and private ambulances couldn't handle the load, I saw EMS vehicles from suburban Summit and Mundelein, the first time I've seen suburban ambulances in downtown Chicago.

Local media is also reporting that some water and Gatorade stations had run out of supplies. I ran the race, every station I saw was well stocked. Perhaps the slower runners faced empty fluid tables, but no one I spoke with could confirm that.

I finished my 26.2 miles in under five hours. I grabbed some water, headed to my running club's tent, and exchanged "war stories" with my friends--over the constant screeching of ambulance sirens.

Usually post-race gatherings have the celebratory feel of a wedding reception. Not today. The slower runners were crushed that they couldn't finish the event, faster runners were disappointed that the weather conditions prevented them from reaching a time goal. And all of us were taken aback by the sites of fallen runners along the race course.

Look for three or four marathon posts over the next few days. I had to get my somber entry in first.

As for calling the race off, the race officials made the right call. Since suburban ambulance crews had to be called in to handle hundreds of runners needing help, one could only imagine what would have happened if the slower participants continued on instead of heading a couple miles east to Grant Park.

UPDATE October 8 12:00pm The Chicago Tribune's Eric Zorn has his thoughts on yesterday's race on his blog. He's a veteran of three Chicago Marathons, and used to train with the running group I used to train with. Numerous commenters repeat the claim that some stations ran out of water and Gatorade.

2nd UPDATE 12:45pm: Race director Carey Pinkowski is acknowledging shortages of water at some stations, explaining in a press conference:

Our participants were not consuming the water, they were cooling themselves with it. So we had individuals that were going to these stations, stopping, grabbing five, six, seven cups of water, cooling themselves with it and blocking the traditional flow of our procession through the water stations. That was something that, I will be honest with you, we didn't anticipate. We thought with our advisory, with our e-mail blast, that our participants would go to the cooling stations, to the hydrants, to cool themselves. But what they were doing was using the water for consumption as a cooling activity.

I received that "e-mail blast" on Thursday. Here's a portion:

Most importantly: PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BODY DURING THE RACE. If at ANY time your body gives you signals to slow down or stop, abide by them. Be aware of your heart rate, body temperature and hydration. If you feel light-headed, dizzy or overheated or experience chest pain, visual disturbances, cramping, vomiting or headache, slow down or stop and consult the medical personnel on the course immediately.

Regarding the runner who died during the race, an autopsy performed by the Cook County medical examiner's office discovered that the athlete, 35 year-old Chad Schieber of Midland, Michigan, had a heart condition known as mitral valve prolapse, and that the heat had nothing to do with his death.

As for people repeatedly dunking themselves with cups of water, I didn't see that, and if I did, I wouldn't have said anything to the runners who did. It was hot out there. In 2004, when I ran in an equally hot, but less humid, Boston Marathon, I was pouring water on my head, but I kept it to one cup per stop.

Thanks for the links:

Respublica
Blueollie
Windypundit
McHenry County Blog
Pajamas Media
A Trail Runners Blog
Brainster

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