The Manitoba Marathon has been canceled after Environment Canada issued a heat warning, organizers confirmed in a Facebook message to CBC News.
About an hour after the start of the race, it was decided to cancel the event, which had about 6,000 participants.
They crossed the exit line at Winnipeg’s IG Field at 7 a.m. as the temperature was already around 23 ºC, but humidex values are likely to rise from 35 to 40 at 10 a.m. .
Earlier in the race, Manitoba Marathon Executive Director Rachel Munday said organizers were ready for the heat, but would be prepared to close parts of the course if the heat gets too intense.
“We’re going to make sure we’re keeping people safe,” he said before starting the race.
“We have a lot of cooling stations, a lot of ice, a lot of sprinklers, a lot of community support, so we hope we can get people to go all the way without having to speed up the closure before everyone else is able to finish. “.
Road closures
If you’re driving in Winnipeg this morning, expect some roadblocks throughout the day.
Chancellor Matheson Road is closed from Research Way to University Crescent, and University Crescent is closed from Chancellor Matheson Road to Pembina Highway.
The exit ramp from the southbound Pembina Highway to the eastbound Jubilee Avenue is also closed.
Winnipeg City Council says these roadblocks are in effect until 3 p.m.