The World Championship marathon will be held at midnight
A look at the technology that's going into the 2019 Doha World Championships to combat the heat
Doha, Qatar is an ambitious place to host the Track and Field World Championships. The event pushed back the traditional start date due to weather (the event is now being hosted in October instead of August) and major action is being taken to ensure that athletes are able to perform in the extreme heat.
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The IAAF has released a report detailing the tech advances that have been implemented to ensure that the World Championships go off without a hitch. They include an air conditioned stadium and midnight marathon. The Khalifa Stadium, which is the venue for the championships, features an air conditioning system that will ensure that the stadium is kept at an optimal temperature for performance. The average temperature in October in Doha are highs of 35 degrees celsius and lows of 25.
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Qatar is also set to host the 2022 soccer World Cup, their stadiums are in the process of being built and will also feature air conditioning. Neither the track nor soccer stadiums will be enclosed buildings, as the air conditioning system will still allow for open roofs.
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Another precaution is holding the marathon at midnight. Even though the event will take place in the middle of the night, the course will be fully lit. Event organizers told the IAAF, “Organizers will apply experience gained in hosting the world’s first night-time MotoGP race at Losail International Circuit [the Losail Circuit is a series of motorcycle races] to ensure a highly successful event that leaves a future legacy for further night road racing and other events around the world.”
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The event is set to begin on September 28, 2019. The qualification for Canadians will be based upon their finish at the national championship on July 25 to 28, and achieving the time standard. The time standards for the event are a little quicker for the 2019 championship. Most notably, the women’s 800m, 400m, 10,000m and marathon standards have become more difficult, along with the men’s 3,000m steeplechase and marathon.
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