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May 16, 2015

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Doha sticking with plan for night marathon at worlds

DOHA organizers are sticking with their plan to hold the marathon at night at the 2019 world athletics championships and will hold test events for athletes to get used to it.

The 2019 worlds are scheduled for late September and early October, when Qatar’s blistering hot summer is tailing off but when daytime temperatures will still hover from 32 to 37 degrees.

That raises health concerns for the long-distance race. But Qatar Athletics Federation President Dahlan al-Hamad said the night marathon in 2019 would also be about “innovation,” something he said athletics needs, and was a big part of Doha’s bid last year.

“When we submitted our bidding file to the IAAF council, we had a long discussion, and part of that is the marathon,” al-Hamad said. “And going back and looking to our file, really it says in bold that we need innovation.” Doha will stage night races ahead of the worlds “to orientate the international athletes” on how it would work.

The prospect of a night marathon was welcomed by 5,000— and 10,000-meter Olympic and world champion Mo Farah.

“If the night marathon is proven as better for us in terms of climate, then why not?” Farah asked. “We’ve got to try something. Sometimes when you look at athletics, how do you make it exciting?”




 

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