Boston Heat Results In Marathon Deferrals, Few Hospitalizations

With temperatures nearing 80 degrees today for the Boston Marathon, race co-Medical Dir Dr. Pierre d'Hemecourt said that "through early afternoon there were no cases of heat stroke." He added that close to 1,200 medical personnel were on hand to care for runners. The Boston Athletic Association increased the number of 5-gallon bottles at each water station to 408, up from the normal amounts of 288 or 328, and added 28,000 single-serve bottles (BOSTON.com, 4/16). Boston Emergency Medical Services had transported about five people to hospitals for heat-related injuries as of 1:30pm ET (BOSTON.com, 4/16).

The BAA gave runners the option of deferring their entry to next year's race and "about 4,290 of the race's 26,716 entrants or 16 percent, didn't participate in the race today" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 4/16).