900 racers suffer in heat

Photo: CTV

Hundreds of people needed medical attention during a marathon in Montreal Sunday.

One of the organizers of the Montreal marathon says almost 900 people received medical attention as today's 10 kilometre and half-marathon events took place under blazing heat.

The shorter events were still held even after the full 42.2 kilometre distance was cancelled due to concerns over high heat and humidity.

Eddy Afram says the number of medical interventions was higher than usual but still in line with the organizers' expectations given the temperature.

He says most of the treatments were for heat stroke or common running injuries such as cramps and muscle strains.

Afram said organizers took numerous precautions to keep people safe, including increasing the number of medical staff, adding more water stations, and installing a spray system at the finish line.

The event also kicked off an hour early to beat the heat, which was expected to reach 30 degrees by Sunday afternoon.