CLIMATE change is reducing the chances of runners breaking marathon records, new research claims.
The study, external by US-based non-profit organisation Climate Central said rising temperatures “have made record-breaking runs in some races nearly impossible.”
The Berlin Marathon was raced in an unseasonal 24C in September, while Tokyo and London – also among the seven World Marathon Majors – took place in temperatures above 20C in March and April respectively.
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said last month that endurance events such as the marathon may need to be held separately – at a different time of the year – in competitions such as the World Athletics Championships to protect athletes from unsafe conditions.
In response to the study by Climate Central, Coe said: “The era of ‘business as usual’ for athletics and other endurance summer and winter sports was over.
“Rising heat, rising seas and unpredictable conditions are no longer exceptions – they’re the new normal.
“At World Athletics we recognise that athlete welfare isn’t just about training and tactics any more – it’s about responding to a warming planet.
Mhairi Maclennan, the fastest British female finisher at the 2024 London Marathon, said: “At the elite level conditions make or break a performance.
“We train day in, day out for years and manage every aspect of our lives to race our best, only for that elusive target to drift further away as ideal temperatures become rarer.
“Climate change isn’t just about races becoming harder; it’s about knowing that record-breaking performances could soon be out of reach if conditions keep getting hotter.”
The study said Tokyo has the highest chance of ideal temperatures for elite male runners (69%) but is also projected to have the steepest decline by 2045.
The men’s marathon world record of two hours 35 seconds was set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in Chicago in 2023.
Ruth Chepngetich set the women’s world record at Chicago in 2024, although last week she was banned for three years after admitting to anti-doping rule violations.
The men’s record has been reduced by two minutes 22 seconds over the past seven years, with improvement in times widely attributed to new shoe technology.
Former women’s world record holder Catherine Ndereba said: “Climate change has altered the marathon.
“Dehydration is a real risk, and simple miscalculations can end a race before it begins. Every step now carries a message – that if we don’t take care of our planet, even our strongest strides will fall short.”
Ibrahim Hussein, who has won the New York and Boston Marathons, said: “The climate is part of the course now.
“If we don’t protect it, the records of the future and the enjoyment for all become less and less likely.” –BBC
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