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

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

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On average, 500 to 600 people are treated for medical issues during the marathons in years when temperatures are around 15 to 18 Celsius, said the event’s medical co-ordinator, Eddy Afram. The number of medical interventions Sunday was higher than usual, but still in line with the organizers’ expectations given the temperature, which reached a high of 30 degrees in the afternoon, with a humidex of 40.

Photo by Pierre Obendrauf / Montreal Gazette

Afram said organizers took many precautions to keep people safe, such as increasing the number of medical staff, adding 18 water stations, distributing cold water-soaked towels and installing a spray system at the finish line. Also, to cope with the heat wave, the half-marathon and the 10K race began at 7:30 a.m., an hour earlier than originally scheduled.