The Manitoba marathon was 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 run, a decision was made to cancel the event, which boasted about 6,000 participants.
They crossed the IG Field starting line at Winnipeg at 7 a.m. as the temperature was already mild at 23 C, but humidity values are likely to rise between 35 and 40 to 10 a.m.
Earlier in the race, Manitoba Marathon CEO Rachel Mandey said organizers were prepared for the heat but would be prepared to close parts of the track if the heat became too intense.
“We will make sure people are safe,” she said before 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 to be able to get people through the whole course without having to speed up the closure before everyone is able to finish.”
Closing roads
If you’re driving in Winnipeg this morning, expect some road closures 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.
It is also closed off the ramp from the south highway Pembina to the east Jubilee Avenue.
The city of Winnipeg says these road closures are in effect until 3 p.m.
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