BOSTON (WHDH) – Hundreds of runners were treated Monday for various medical issues as they battled through rain, wind and frigid temperatures along the Boston Marathon route.
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) said around 1,000 patients were seen in medical tents, excluding ones that were set up at the finish line. At the halfway mark in Wellesley, the medical tent had treated 130 patients by 3 p.m. and taken 28 people to the hospital.
“They just can’t run anymore. They’re shivering. They just can’t go on,” Wellesley Fire Chief Charles DiGiandomenico said.
By 4pm, the medical tent in #Wellesley had treated 133 patients #7News https://t.co/C0gUw1AYXE
— Kimberly Bookman (@KimberlyBookman) April 16, 2018
Due to the cold temperatures and rain, communities along the marathon route opened warming centers in Natick, Wellesley, Newton, and Brookline.
Temperatures dipped down into the 30s as wind-driven rain soaked the 27,048 runners who took part in Monday’s race. Many runners stopped along the route when the cold weather and rain became too much. A lot of runners were seen sporting ponchos and rain jackets. The rain is expected to persist into the evening.
“It’s just been super, super cold and I twisted my ankle on one of those Gatorade cups and everything but I warmed up for a bit and I’m going to try to go back in there,” Diana Katsikaris said.
Those told by medics that they could not finish the marathon were sent on buses back to Boston so they could reunite with their family members.
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