Race Day Climate Extremes

Even early in the season, heat, storms and shifting forecasts are already reshaping outdoor events.

As I sit writing this post, Novato’s weather has just crept up over 80 degrees, sitting at a sultry 82. Wait, 83! Tomorrow, the high will be 86° as hundreds of runners descend upon the Marin Headlands for a weekend at the Big Alta (yes, that’s why I’m here too. To hang out and cheer and support the awesome Freetrail and Daybreak teams).

Running an ultra in above-80 weather does not sound fun to me. Does it sound fun to you?

The Bay is indeed experiencing a heatwave, but it’s not the only endurance races impacted by extreme weather in these last few weeks.

This week, UTMB released a statement that the Tenerife Bluetrail race in the Canary Islands was to be cancelled due to oncoming weather - “heavy rain, strong winds, snow, and highly unstable conditions.” The Bluetrail race begins at sea level and climbs toward Mount Teide, reaching elevations above 3,500 meters. Over the course of the race, runners already move through variable conditions in the form of coastal heat, forest trails and exposed volcanic terrain high above the island. Something as extreme as snow (!?) could derail it all.

As we know, extreme weather is becoming more extreme (read: erratic, intense, unpredictable, dangerous) due to climate change.

Statements like the one released by UTMB offer a glimpse into the planning that takes place around these events. Race directors spend months coordinating permits, volunteers, aid stations, medical teams and course logistics. Weather monitoring has become an increasingly visible part of that preparation. Many races now work closely with meteorologists and local emergency authorities as forecasts evolve during race week. But it’s always hard when an announcement like this comes so close to the race date that many runners are already on the island and will likely have to wait the storm out there.

Across the running world, organizers have begun incorporating adjustments that reflect these realities – earlier start times, expanded hydration stations, additional medical support and flexible course logistics that allow races to respond to changing conditions.

Earlier this month, organizers of the Los Angeles Marathon shared a message with runners ahead of race weekend that gave them the option to exit the course at mile 18 and still receive a finisher medal. Now, as you might imagine, this sparked an OUTCRY.

But before we dig into that, let’s look at the facts. Forecasts suggested temperatures could climb into the high 70s and low 80s later on marathon morning (March 8th). Large road marathons unfold across several hours - elite runners may finish in cooler temperatures, while thousands of participants continue moving through the course well into late morning/early afternoon (depending on start time). When temperatures rise through the day, the experience of the race changes depending on when someone crosses the finish line. Creating an earlier exit point gave runners the ability to decide, if they were feeling like they were in a dangerous spot, that they could pull the plug if they needed to, staying safe and feeling celebrated at the same time.

NOW. Yes. Obviously the running community was NOT happy about this. Responses ranged from mild annoyance to aggressive contempt and seething humor. Many said - yo, 26.2 is the marathon distance, this is ridiculous. I find myself agreeing with this take for the most part, HOWEVER - I will say - wow I’m using a lot of CAPS - that I do appreciate the race for attempting to provide a creative, adaptation-focused solution to the issues of rising temperatures. It may not have been the solution I would choose, but it definitely sparked a conversation. While I would not wish us to be in this scenario at all - where temperatures are so high we need a finisher’s medal for what is essentially a different race - I do appreciate the amount of people that sent this article to me as a “unique climate solution,” to put it diplomatically.

(Another note on this idea: this was also the most climate-related coverage I’d seen on the Olympics yet, with the Paralympics - the most-watched on record! - sounding the call as well. Again, I do not wish for this! This is a “for better or worse” kind of scenario! But at least it sparks conversation. The more people talking about this topic, the better.)

Outdoor sports have always required adaptation to weather patterns. Athletes adjust pacing, hydration and gear in response to the environment around them - they have since the dawn of racing. Race organizers are doing something similar on a larger scale, and now they’re offering more options in addition to cracking down on safety for fear of the worst case scenario. For many people in the outdoor community, races serve as gathering points. Volunteers, athletes and spectators come together in places that hold meaning for them. Now, evolving weather is shaping those gatherings more than we’ve seen before.

And…I just checked. It’s now 84°.