The annual London Marathon was completed successfully, however, it was the hottest ever recorded. As per the Met office, over 40,000 runners partook in the Marathon amidst temperatures which were recorded at a whopping 24.1 degrees Celsius.
So much so that the participants had been warned beforehand that the course was likely to be even hotter because the heat had been absorbed by the roads and from other competitors. As per the British Standard Time, the 26.2-mile race began at 10:00 AM after the Queen pressed a button from the Windsor Castle Grounds.
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The last time such high temperatures were recorded was in the year 1996 when the mercury had hit 22.7 degrees Celsius, and 22.6 degrees in 2007 when a runner had died and 73 were rushed to the hospital.
This time, four-and-a-half liters of water per person were distributed by the organizers, which happens to be the highest as compared to any other mass participation event across the globe. Water also ran out at miles eight, nine as well as ten.
Higher mercury levels caused even more difficulty to fancy dress participants. There were at least hundreds of police officers on duty to aid runners and spectators. Runners were advised to stay hydrated by the London Ambulance Service.
A good number of ice, water, and shower stations were added to help runners cool down and a row of fans was installed near the finish line.
