CHICAGO: The Chicago Marathon has been cancelled mid-run after a record-breaking heat wave killed one person and sent more than 350 to hospital, officials said.
But thousands of runners ignored official warnings and ploughed on through the race yesterday even as temperatures soared to 31 degrees Celsius and overloaded aid stations ran out of water.
"We tried blocking the route and people just ran through the police line or jumped over their bikes," said Joe Roccasalva, a spokesman for the Chicago fire department which oversaw race safety.
"People just didn't want to stop."
Nearly 36,000 people started the marathon at 8 am (local time) when temperatures were a balmy 20 degrees Celsius.
Nearly 25,000 managed to complete the full race, with about 4,000 finishing before the race was cut short, officials said.
Frenchman Jacques LaGreve, 44, was near the front of the pack and was not badly affected by the heat as he made sure to drink plenty of water early on and stay hydrated.
He finished in 3:34, just ten minutes above his personal best of 13 other marathons.
"One of my friends was unable to finish the race and he was really disappointed, but the principle is to finish in good health," he said as he looked for his wife at the finished line.
