Here’s how many runners needed medical attention during Monday’s balmy marathon

Now that the 2024 Boston Marathon is in the books, it’s possible to examine the true toll that the grueling race had on athletes, especially amid particularly warm temperatures.  

All in all, there were 2,974 encounters at medical tents during the marathon, Medical Coordinator Chris Troyanos told The Boston Globe. Of those interactions, 1,288 occurred along the course, while 1,686 happened at the finish line. 

26,596 athletes started the race, and 25,616 finished, according to the Boston Athletic Association, meaning that 980 dropped out before completing the race. 

A team of about 1,900 volunteers staffed 31 medical tents between Hopkinton and downtown Boston, Troyanos told the Globe. There were 126 runners transported to local hospitals. 

Most of the people seeking medical attention needed help treating heat-related issues. At least 40 people suffered heat stroke, while others were beset by cramping, nausea, and swelling. The medical tents were outfitted with giant ice baths to cool down athletes. Staff also employed a method known as Tarp-Assisted Cooling Oscillation (TACO), where a patient is suspended in a pool of cool water and ice in a tarp. 

Monday was an idyllic spring day for spectators, but a bit warm for marathoners. Temperatures climbed to as high as 73 degrees in Boston, slightly above what meteorologists initially expected. A lack of cloud cover was mostly to blame, according to Globe meteorologist Ken Mahan. Roadways absorb heat well, and pockets of humidity along the course made some areas feel as warm as 75 degrees. 

This year’s race was the hottest since 2017, which also saw a high of 73 degrees, per the Globe. In 2012, race day was 89 degrees, and in 1976 runners competed in a blistering 96 degrees. The hottest Boston Marathon on record occurred in 1905, when temperatures reached a high of 100 degrees. 

Some recent marathon Mondays have been brutal for opposite reasons. Participants last year battled through gusty winds and occasional downpours. The number of athletes who sought medical treatment this year was comparable to 2018, Troyanos said, when rain and cold caused hypothermia and related issues. 

The warm race day could have been particularly shocking for local athletes who trained during the frigid fall, winter, and early springtime of New England.  

“You get into the mid-60s, low 70s, it’s like running in 80 degrees out there,” Troyanos told the Globe.