Half Marathon Runners Affected by the Heat

The extreme heat proved to be too much for many runners participating in the Amica Iron Horse Half Marathon in Simsbury.

About 10 ambulances responded to Rotary Park in Simsbury off of Iron Horse Blvd. to care for runners affected by the heat.  At least 7 people were brought to St. Francis Hospital and several others were treated on scene.

According to police, some runners collapsed while others were able to make it to the medic tent on their own for treatment.

"There was a couple people who were definitely feeling the heat. Towards the end mostly, the last couple of hours after 10 a.m. is when it was getting pretty hot," said Rui Lopes. Lopes was a runner in the race.

Marathon organizers and medical personnel were asking racers to walk or jog slowly to help avoid heat related injuries.

"We raised the color coding to red which is not to close the race down, but to warn them to slow way down. Start walking," said Beth Shluger, Executive Director of the Hartford Marathon Foundation.

Prior to the start of the race, the marathon foundation posted tips for staying safe while running in the head.

To read the tips and to find more information on the half marathon, visit www.hartfordmarathon.com.

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