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Climate17 outlets ran this4 min read

US marathons shift dates and rules as climate change raises race-day heat

Organisers move start times, offer shorter courses and delay events to avoid dangerous temperatures for runners

AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Published
US marathons shift dates and rules as climate change raises race-day heat

What this story says

  • The Twin Cities Marathon will move its 2027 race from the first Sunday in October to later in the month after record heat forced its 2023 cancellation.
  • Organisers of other marathons, including in Sioux Falls, Los Angeles and Little Rock, have already shifted dates or start times to avoid high temperatures.
  • Climate Central research predicts that by 2045, 46 of 51 major US marathons will have fewer days with optimal running conditions in the low 40s Fahrenheit.
  • No right-rated outlet in the sample below carried this story, though 17 left- and centre-rated outlets did.

Who covered it

Left 41%(7)Centre 59%(10)Right 0%(0)

Percentages are shares of the 17 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. Coverage measured .

Trust

77/100

Craft

65/100

Hype

15/100

17 sources · methodology

Paul Grinvalds, a 68-year-old runner from West Des Moines, Iowa, has completed 114 marathons across all 50 US states. He told the Associated Press that temperatures above 60°F (15.5°C) make races difficult, and that runners often push themselves despite the risks. His experience reflects broader concerns among marathon organisers as climate change drives up temperatures.

The Twin Cities Marathon in Minneapolis-St. Paul will move its 2027 race from the first Sunday in October to later in the month. The decision follows the 2023 cancellation due to record heat and humidity, and a 2025 race that started near 70°F (21°C). Race director Ed Whetham called the 2023 cancellation "devastating" and said organisers now prefer a 39°F (4°C) start over a 70°F one.

Other marathons have made similar changes. The Sioux Falls Marathon moved its 2025 race from August to September after cancelling in 2024 due to heat. The Air Force Marathon in Dayton, Ohio, the Little Rock Marathon in Arkansas and the Long Beach Marathon in California have all moved start times earlier to avoid high temperatures. In Los Angeles, organisers gave runners the option to stop after 18 miles and still receive a finishers medal, with fewer than 5% taking the offer.

Climate Central, a research group, studied 221 marathons and found that by 2045, 46 of 51 major US races will have fewer days with optimal running conditions in the low 40s Fahrenheit (6-7°C). The Earth had its hottest year on record in 2024, and the World Meteorological Organization forecasts that global temperatures will likely rise by more than 1.5°C (2.7°F) above pre-industrial levels between 2025 and 2030.

What the coverage left out

No right-rated outlet in the sample below carried this story. None of the centre-rated digests mentioned the World Meteorological Organization’s projection that global temperatures will likely rise by more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels by 2030, or named the burning of coal and gasoline as the primary cause of climate change. The left-rated digests did not include the specific start times that marathons like the Air Force Marathon and Little Rock Marathon have moved to.

Tags:#ClimateChange#USMarathons#ExtremeHeat#PublicHealth#SportsSafety

Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 1 time, most recently on 13 Aug 2026, 17:30, and will add the sides that appear.

How other outlets pictured it

Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.

Paul Grinvalds, of West Des Moines, Iowa, runs with the Raccoon River Running Club, Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026, in West Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Associated Press NewsLeft

How each side covered it

Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.

Left

7 rated outlets

  • The seven left-rated digests and two full reports led on the link between climate change and marathon safety. The Associated Press and Washington Top News, whose full reports were reprinted by left-rated outlets, both quoted Andy Pershing of Climate Central: "The ability to go outside, to exercise, to take advantage of your human body and being healthy, that’s something that’s getting challenged by climate change."
  • The left-rated digests carried the forecast that 46 of 51 US marathons will have fewer optimal running days by 2045. They also included the World Meteorological Organization’s projection that global temperatures will likely rise by more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels by 2030. The full reports named the burning of coal and gasoline as the primary cause of climate change.
  • The Associated Press report quoted Jessica Murfree of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, who said the concern extends beyond marathons to whether people can exercise outdoors at all on increasingly warm days. The left-rated digests carried her statement that organisers of marathons, bicycle races and other sports must adopt safety measures as climate change makes weather hotter and more volatile.

Centre

10 rated outlets

  • The ten centre-rated digests led on the operational changes marathons are making. They all mentioned the Twin Cities Marathon’s decision to move its 2027 race to later in October, and several noted that other races have shifted dates or start times. The digests from The Northern Virginia Daily, Yuma Sun and goSkagit included the Los Angeles Marathon’s option for runners to stop after 18 miles.
  • The centre-rated digests carried the 2023 cancellation of the Twin Cities Marathon due to record heat and humidity, and the 2025 race’s start near 70°F (21°C). They also mentioned the Sioux Falls Marathon’s move from August to September after its 2024 cancellation. The Washington Top News full report, reprinted by centre-rated outlets, included the Climate Central forecast that 46 of 51 US marathons will have fewer optimal running days by 2045.
  • None of the centre-rated digests mentioned the World Meteorological Organization’s projection that global temperatures will likely rise by more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels by 2030. None named the burning of coal and gasoline as the primary cause of climate change, and none quoted Jessica Murfree’s statement about the broader impact on outdoor exercise.

Right

0 rated outlets

No outlet rated right has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.

Read it at the source

17 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.

Left

7

Centre

10
Show 2 more

Right

0

No outlet in this group ran the story.

Not rated

0

No outlet in this group ran the story.

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover US marathons shift dates and rules as climate change raises race-day…?
Of the 17 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 41% are rated left, 59% are rated centre, 0% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
Is US marathons shift dates and rules as climate change raises race-day… left or right?
Neither side dominates it. Of the 17 rated outlets on this story, 41% are rated left, 59% are rated centre, 0% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
Is the coverage of US marathons shift dates and rules as climate change raises race-day… biased?
US marathons shift dates and rules as climate change raises race-day heat is one event reported by 17 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
Which outlets covered US marathons shift dates and rules as climate change raises race-day…?
17 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
Why is the Twin Cities Marathon moving its 2027 race to later in October?
The Twin Cities Marathon is moving its 2027 race to later in October after record heat and humidity forced its 2023 cancellation. The 2025 race started near 70°F (21°C), which organisers said was too warm for runners. The decision follows an analysis showing later dates offer a greater chance of cooler conditions.
What changes have other US marathons made to deal with rising temperatures?
Other US marathons have shifted dates, moved start times earlier or offered shorter courses. The Sioux Falls Marathon moved from August to September after cancelling in 2024 due to heat. The Los Angeles Marathon gave runners the option to stop after 18 miles and still receive a finishers medal.
How will climate change affect marathons in the future?
Climate Central research predicts that by 2045, 46 of 51 major US marathons will have fewer days with optimal running conditions in the low 40s Fahrenheit (6-7°C). The Earth had its hottest year on record in 2024, and global temperatures are expected to keep rising.
Which outlets carried this story and which did not?
Seventeen left- and centre-rated outlets carried this story, including the Associated Press, Washington Top News and The Seattle Times. No right-rated outlet in the sample below ran the story, though the sample includes only the reports printed above.

How did this read?

About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.

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