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The 2007 Chicago Marathon was called off after four hours. Hundreds of runners fell victim to temperatures that hovered around 90 degrees. More than 300 runners were taken from the course in ambulances. One runner, a Michigan police officer with a heart condition, died in the race, though the Cook County medical examiner's office determined his death was not related to heat.

2007 Chicago Marathon: One Dead, Hundreds Treated, What Went Wrong?

35-year-old Chad Schieber reportedly collapsed on the route and later died but his death was attributed to heart problems and not the event. The autopsy doctor said that old Schieber's particular heart defect -- mitral valve prolapse -- varies by individual. "That condition ranges anywhere from mild to severe," she said. Schieber's was "very significant."


Many said that the organizer weren't prepared. One report claimed a lack of water and a growing number of dehydrated participants created a panic among officials who forcibly canceled the race for those who had not reached the half way point by noon. Race director Carey Pinkowski told the Chicago Tribune t they were concerned that emergency medical personnel wouldn't be able to keep up with heat-related injuries.

Fire hydrants were open along side the race route and medical personnel were raced in from outside the city to keep up with the growing number of falling participants. "We were seeing a high rate of people that were struggling," Pinkowski said. "It was just a brutally hot day."


But the Chicago tribune reports that Mayor Richard Daley defended organizers of the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon on Tuesday and said problems from the weekend race will not affect the city's quest for the 2016 Olympics. "This is an unfortunate incident," he said. "That's all it is."

Furthermore, the mayor said, anyone who participates in outdoor sports in extreme weather has to be responsible. "You get out there, you have to take responsibility -- a bike rider, anyone who does sports outside in warm or cold weather." Daley said the marathon had "a great history" and contended runners had a responsibility to make their own judgments on whether to participate on an unusually warm day.