The Boston Triathlon that was scheduled for Sunday has been postponed due to the heat, according to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.Race Director Mike O’Neil said they work with several city and state agencies to coordinate a year in advance, but was able to move the kids’ race to Saturday, Aug. 20 and the triathlon with thousands of participants to Sunday, Aug.21.”EMS said this is just not a safe event for anybody,” O’Neil said. “If you’re dedicating emergency resources to this race and the air conditioning goes out in an elderly home somewhere in the city, if you don’t have the resources to support those people, that’s not right, as well.”The triathlon will have competitors swimming in Dorchester Bay, biking through Boston city streets and running along the Southie shoreline.The city is in the middle of a heat wave, with temperatures rising about 90 degrees, which is expected to last through the weekend.Info: Check latest forecast”The athlete safety is important, but also the volunteer safety and all the people that come together to make the event happen,” said volunteer Beth Greene. “I always say it’s harder to support a triathlon than to race a triathlon from a hydration standpoint because you’re out in the sun. You’re forgetting to hydrate. You’re caught up in the excitement of it all, and at the end of the day, you’re just absolutely wiped out. That’s under normal summer conditions, not what we’re experiencing in Boston right now,” O’Neil said.Residents and visitors were doing their best to cool down. Mayor Michelle Wu extended a previously announced heat emergency in the city through Sunday and urged residents to take advantage of cooling centers and splash pads.The heat prompted officials to urge people to seek shelter, as well as to drink lots of water and be good Samaritans by checking on elderly neighbors for signs of distress.WCVB’s Josh Brogadir is raising money with the Columbia Threadneedle Investments team for Boston Medical Center. Click here to learn more or make a donation.
The Boston Triathlon that was scheduled for Sunday has been postponed due to the heat, according to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Race Director Mike O’Neil said they work with several city and state agencies to coordinate a year in advance, but was able to move the kids’ race to Saturday, Aug. 20 and the triathlon with thousands of participants to Sunday, Aug.21.
“EMS said this is just not a safe event for anybody,” O’Neil said. “If you’re dedicating emergency resources to this race and the air conditioning goes out in an elderly home somewhere in the city, if you don’t have the resources to support those people, that’s not right, as well.”
The triathlon will have competitors swimming in Dorchester Bay, biking through Boston city streets and running along the Southie shoreline.
The city is in the middle of a heat wave, with temperatures rising about 90 degrees, which is expected to last through the weekend.
Info: Check latest forecast
“The athlete safety is important, but also the volunteer safety and all the people that come together to make the event happen,” said volunteer Beth Greene.
“I always say it’s harder to support a triathlon than to race a triathlon from a hydration standpoint because you’re out in the sun. You’re forgetting to hydrate. You’re caught up in the excitement of it all, and at the end of the day, you’re just absolutely wiped out. That’s under normal summer conditions, not what we’re experiencing in Boston right now,” O’Neil said.
Residents and visitors were doing their best to cool down. Mayor Michelle Wu extended a previously announced heat emergency in the city through Sunday and urged residents to take advantage of cooling centers and splash pads.
The heat prompted officials to urge people to seek shelter, as well as to drink lots of water and be good Samaritans by checking on elderly neighbors for signs of distress.
WCVB’s Josh Brogadir is raising money with the Columbia Threadneedle Investments team for Boston Medical Center. Click here to learn more or make a donation.