Mark Draughn at Windypundit.com reports that some runners had no problem with water, while some did. If there was a shortage of water on the course, that is definitely a problem. The organizers may not have expected the temperatures in the 80s months ago, but they surely had a few extra days to prepare based on the forecast. Having said that…
I’ve run this race twice, so I can speak with a little experience. Most of what happens in a marathon is up to the runners themselves.
Too hot? Didn’t you train for 18-20 weeks for this race during the hottest months of the summer? If so, you should know your limitations in the heat, and if you push yourself beyond that, you are the one who made that decision. If you didn’t train in the heat, what were you doing the past five months that made you think you were prepared for a marathon?
Not enough water? That is definitely a problem with race organization, but again you should have trained enough to know that you can’t push yourself without hydration. I’m not sure what I would have done in that situation, but I hope it would involve slowing my pace or dropping out during the race and raising all kinds of hell afterwards. Can you say refund?
Don’t get me wrong, it is completely ridiculous to have water shortages for a race this size, and I’d be pretty upset about that if I’d paid the hefty fee to run this race, especially based on its reputation. But ultimately, you are responsible for your own health.
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