Concerned about the heat in the races at the European Championships, international runners are calling for the marathon start time to be changed.
More than 50 athletes appealed in an open letter to the organizers to protect the health of the athletes and to move the start to the morning hours. This was announced by the Athletes Germany interest group without naming names.
Temperatures of more than 30 degrees expected
The decisions in the marathon are scheduled for August 15th. The women currently start at 10.30 a.m., the men an hour later. With announced temperatures of well over 30 degrees, the athletes would be at risk of heat illnesses. However, there is a commitment from the European Athletics Association to postpone the start times if the weather forecast poses a health risk for the athletes.
“It is the responsibility of the organizers to protect the health of the athletes. We all want Marathon to find the widest possible audience, and slots are certainly important for that. Nevertheless, such considerations must not result in avoidable health risks for the athletes,” explained marathon runner and board member at Athletes Germany Fabienne Königstein.