MINNEAPOLIS — Emotions are still running high Monday after the 11th-hour decision to cancel Sunday's highly anticipated Twin Cities Marathon.
It's a decision race organizers say did not come easy, as temperatures continued to climb overnight.
"It is heart-wrenching for us," said marathon parent organization Twin Cities in Motion President Dean Orton. "We know how important the event is to the running community."
Orton made the decision due to "black flag" weather conditions, which deemed the environment too extreme and dangerous. The Event Alert System (EAS) is part of a color-coded communication that assesses risk — but it's not something every race uses, and not everyone may understand.
"It’s a system to help us understand what is safe and what the conditions are so we’re able to move through, on a day like today or yesterday, with a much better ability to prepare and guide," said Orton. "We have to think of the larger running community from those who are the elite, to those who are going to take a full five, six hours to finish their day."
The EAS was developed about 15 years ago after runners in the Chicago Marathon got sick, and some died. It assesses risk based on sun, wind and humidity with meteorologists that have portable weather stations along the route that are checked every couple of hours. Orton says his team also includes medical doctors who help manage the response.
"I know our team made the right decision and I know all of them are here to run another day because we didn't run on Sunday," said Orton.
Temps soared into the 90s on Sunday, but some runners ran anyway. There were also 4,000 volunteers who helped put on the event. It's considered one of the best marathons in the country and takes a year to plan.
It also comes with a price tag of $3.5 million, but still, it's not immune to even some of the best laid plans.
"We've got unfinished business; we're going to get back to work," said Orton. "This is for the running community, that’s who we’re here for and we got to take care of them."
Any responding EMTs are also still responsible for serving people not affiliated with the race, and had the marathon organizers been inundated with calls, Orton says that has a ripple effect across the community.
Yet, despite this year's record heat, Orton says the marathon is scheduled for this same time next year.
On Thursday, marathon organizers told KARE they plan on addressing concerns regarding refunds and other matters by Oct 20.
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