Curb fancy dress for hottest marathon yet, runners told
RUNNERS in the London Marathon should think carefully before wearing bulky costumes for this year’s race, organisers have warned, as the Met Office predicted temperatures could be the hottest ever for the event.
In previous marathons, runners have attempted the 26.2-mile course clad in bomb disposal suits, deep sea diving outfits and carrying a fridge.
However, the mini heatwave Britain is experiencing has already made this month one of the hottest on record, with highs of 84.4F (29.1C) yesterday in the South East, just below the highest ever April temperature, 85F (29.4C) recorded in London on April 16 1949.
The Met Office last night forecast temperatures of up to 73.4F (23C) in London for Sunday, the day of the run, warmer than the 1996 London Marathon, which peaked at 73F (22.7C).
Hugh Brasher, the event director, said runners should reassess their goals and costumes in light of the conditions. “Runners should adjust their goal for Sunday and plan to run at a slower pace,” he said. “If they were planning to run in fancy dress, they should think carefully if that is appropriate in the forecast conditions.” Yesterday, marathon organisers renewed their advice, saying runners should opt for “lightweight moisture-management clothing designed for use in warmer conditions”.
They are making contingency plans, including increasing the number of drinks stations, providing extra water for runners to douse themselves, and setting up more showers to help runners cool down, plus stocking first aid stations with extra ice.
Save the Rhino, the charity behind the rhino outfit, which is an annual fixture at the race, told its runners not to over-exert themselves, warning that it was already “very humid” inside the rhino suits.
In its advice to runners, the charity said: “If you are feeling the heat getting to you please do slow down. The
conditions are not ideal for a PB (personal best), so please don’t push yourself to do so and risk your health. Take it easy and enjoy the party atmosphere.”
The rhino suits were originally made in 1989 for a musical called Born Again before being donated to the charity and made their debut at the London Marathon in 1992. The charity has a waiting list every year of runners wanting to attempt the race in the 17lb (7.7kg) suit.
The charity said it usually has around 17 runners wearing the rhino costume at the showcase event.
Tony Morrison, a self-styled extreme marathon runner who completed the course with a 93 lb refrigerator strapped to his back in 2014 when the temperature was 61F (16C), told The Daily Telegraph he came close to death after suffering heatstroke on the day.
“Heatstroke is the most dangerous thing that can happen,” he says, “because you don’t think straight, you don’t fully understand what’s going on with you, you can’t keep your food down, you can’t take water in. I was on a drip for four days afterwards.”
He advised runners wearing heavy costumes to follow the organisers’ advice. “Fortunately I didn’t become a victim that day but I was very close,” he said. “I’m about as extreme as it comes with that sort of thing, but it really broke me that day.
“It’s not just about fitness: if you’re going to take something like that on you need to think about getting your hydration correct, getting your food intake right and keeping out of the sun – your body can only take so much.
“You cannot train for it, you’re going to go into an environment that’s completely alien to you and I think they should take a lot of notice to what the organisers are saying, because it is dangerous.
“It’s so suffocatingly hot on days like this. I genuinely worry for anybody who hasn’t trained as hard as I do.”