The enormous number of participants made the competition higher in the Boston Marathon 2024 this time. The defending champions and the former world champions were ready to take the challenge to another level in Heartbreak Hill. However, in the meantime, something else proved to be a grievous hurdle to the participating athletes in Boston yesterday. 

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Unlike last year’s drizzle, this time the Boston Marathon 2024 witnessed unprecedented hot weather. There was a forecast beforehand, however. But in reality, the temperature touched the line of 19-21°c with a high humidity rate. In such a condition, several athletes in the Boston Marathon found themselves in an extremely dizzy situation.

Some had to resort to liters of water. But for a few unfortunate athletes, medical ambulances could be the only solution. As per the update from WCVB, 31 medical transports took place meanwhile to manage the situation. One athlete described the situation on a first-hand account basis. “I’m sore. It was too hot. It got hot at the start line and it’s just hard to cool off the heat”, he recollected. However, the authorities came up with some solutions. 

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Apart from quick medical transports, dozens of tents set up for medical emergencies were flooded by athletes who felt uneasy because of the weather yesterday. Topping that, the Boston EMS updated about the presence of 100+ support staffers on the ground. Meanwhile, several runners compared the weather situation to the 2018 occasion where drizzling made the weather so unfriendly. But fortunately, the authority was satisfyingly helpful yesterday in maneuvering the support system. But the runners who were at the forefront felt a quagmire to take up needed help. 

The top runners suffered the heat wave in the Boston Marathon 2024 

Two of the early runners from the ecstatic crowd faced unpleasantness because of the uncompromising weather situation. Both Emma Bates and Sisay Lemma both finely started the race. Eventually, they disregarded the weather situation to unfurl their top performance in Boston yesterday.

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Eventually, till a certain distance, they employed a rapid pace, defying the slowing pack behind. Meanwhile, in such a stark situation, Sisay Lemma broke Geoffrey Mutai’s record of the halfway split. But in this process, his less consumption of water and the weather took a toll on him. 

After the 30k, his pace diminished notably and the gap was decreased with the chasing crowd. In such a situation, Sisay Lemma couldn’t take up medical help, fearing additional time consumption. The same happened in Emma Bates’ case as well. She dropped her pace after the 21k mark, moving to 15th position from the top one. 

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Prasun Chakrabarty

2,302 Articles

Prasun Chakrabarty is a Senior Writer in the Olympic Sports division at EssentiallySports, where he covers track and field, gymnastics, swimming, and other Olympic disciplines. A seasoned journalist with three years at the company, Prasun's extensive knowledge and passion for track and field were evident from day one. With years of connections and research already established, he brought a unique edge to the ES Insights and Trends Desk. He has since become a key voice in the company's Olympic sports coverage. His star coverage includes World Athletics Indoor Championships, USATF Outdoor Championships, and reporting live from the U.S. Marathon Trials. His expertise earned him a special invitation from the Paris City Council to cover lead-up events ahead of the 2024 Olympics. Over time, his stories have sparked real-world impact. His piece on athlete mental toughness drew praise from Texas Volleyball head coach Jerritt Elliott, while a feature on winter sports caught the attention of Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn, who engaged with it publicly. His reporting has made its way into Wikipedia, where editors have cited his work as a trusted source on Olympic sports. Being an alum of the Journalistic Excellence Program (JEP) and an active member of the ES Think Tank, he’s part of the team driving the site’s long-term coverage strategy.

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Sampurna Pal