No, there wasn't enough water, marathoners say

Chicago Marathon Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski says his crew was prepared for the heat, but many runners aren't buying it.

What's more, they're taking offense with statements that things went wrong because runners at water stations took three to six cups at a time -- using some to pour over themselves -- instead of just one or two to drink.

"They ran out," said Mike Burns, 35, a runner from Elgin. "They knew at least three days in advance … they knew it was going to be extreme."

Firefighters say several hundred people in Sunday's marathon were taken to area hospitals or treated on site for heat-related problems. Temperatures reached 88 degrees, beating the marathon record of 84 degrees in 1979. The high heat index prompted organizers to stop the race at 11:30 a.m., about 3½ hours into the run.

Pinkowski insists organizers did take action ahead of time -- e-mailing runners before the race about the heat and having firefighters open up hydrants so runners could cool off in spraying water rather than with cups meant for drinking.

"That's something, I will be honest with you, we didn't anticipate," Pinkowski said.

Runners say, however, it's a no-brainer people would use cups to douse themselves.

"I definitely think they should have foreseen it," said runner Brad McClory, 41, of Cary.

And some runners doubt Pinkowski's assertion there was enough drinking water at the stations but it couldn't be filled fast enough because of the dousing.

Mary Rienzi, 47, of upstate New York, has finished the Chicago Marathon six times but was forced by organizers to stop mid-race Sunday.

She said she got a little water at the first station, but there was none to be found at the second, third and fourth aid stations. She agreed with published accounts that the second aid station was shut down, with tables turned upside down.

Ironically, "as we got there, there was a health care professional yelling 'stay hydrated, stay hydrated,'" Rienzi said.

At the third station in Lincoln Park, runners were drinking from a decorative public fountain, something Rienzi said probably made more than a few people sick. At one aid station, all that was left was concentrated Gatorade, something that should not be given out unless it is diluted with water, said Rienzi, a nurse.

Race organizers say there were 15 aid stations along the 26.2-mile course. They said they increased drink servings from 1.6 million to 1.8 million, as well as provided misting areas, extra ice and water-soaked sponges.

Runners credited bystanders with rising to the occasion to pay for water out of their own pocket or to turn on hoses to douse people.

"The people of Chicago are the only reason that people got through this mess," Rienzi said.

Rienzi said Pinkowski should stop denying culpability and apologize -- something he declined to do at a news conference Monday when a reporter asked him twice if he wanted to.

"He's got to stop saying it was the runners' fault … there was water, there was Gatorade … . There wasn't," Rienzi said.

Most runners, while supporting the decision to shut down the run for safety, agreed the marathon should offer refunds to those who were forced to stop. As of Monday evening, race organizers had not yet made a decision whether to do so.