The story goes that in 490 B.C., Pheidippides, a messenger, ran 25 miles from Marathon to Athens to announce the Greek victory over invading Persians.
His reward for this herculean effort? Death. By overexertion.
But as it turns out, in 2026, he might have had to run only 18 miles.
That would at least be the case in Los Angeles, where organizers of the annual 26.2-mile marathon announced this week that runners could turn off at mile 18, head to the finish line and, for the first time, still collect a finisher medal.
Organizers cited the weather for race day on Sunday, with high temperatures set to reach into the 80s, as the reason for the new option — available for this year only. About 26,000 had registered to run, according to the ASICS Los Angeles Marathon website.
“There is no shame in making a smart decision for your body,” the website read.
The decision has been met with a mixed reaction among runners. It comes as rising temperatures present challenges for race organizers around the world, when many regions are coping with the effects of climate change.
In 2023, the Twin Cities Marathon in Minnesota was canceled outright after the temperature was forecast to reach 91 degrees. And in recent years, in hot places like India, organizers of races have moved up start times to avoid heat and humidity.
A January report from the World Economic Forum on the economic factors affecting sporting events found that “extreme weather events such as heat waves, flooding, storms and wildfire smoke are increasingly forcing event cancellations, rescheduling and venue closures.”
Some have praised the Los Angeles Marathon organizers’ decision to make sure runners do not push themselves too hard in the heat. But other seasoned marathoners are balking at the idea of a medal for an incomplete race.
“I’m not a big fan of the idea of people getting marathon finisher medals for running 18 miles,” said Jim Picker, 68, who has run every Los Angeles Marathon — 40 in total — since its inception in 1986.
Mr. Picker said it was a good idea to prioritize safety but he was not as convinced about the need for medals for early finishers.
“Hopefully, the people that do that will get the medal and it will give them an incentive to come back next year, sign up and give it another shot,” he said.
Steph Dunlap, 41, a pacer who runs with marathoners hoping to hit a final time of five hours and 50 minutes, said she had heard from people who said that marathon medals represent the memories, not the distance.
While she did not fully agree with accepting a finisher medal for less than 26.2 miles, she said she has a front-row seat to how hard marathons are for the runners in her pace group.
As far as she is concerned, “all runners count,” even if they do not complete the race.
“I think for them, they should be incredibly proud of how far they’ve come,” she said. “I mean, 18 miles is still nothing to scoff at.”
Hal Higdon, 94, a marathoner and self-proclaimed training guru who runs the marathon training website and app HalHigdon.com, said in an email that in hot races, he recommended participants walk through aid stations to allow themselves to drink more water, and that they abandon time goals in the interest of running a healthy race.
He also said people should consider not running if they are concerned about their health.
“Sometimes you also need to be brave and walk off the course,” Mr. Higdon said. “As Kenny Rogers famously sang, ‘You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em.’”
Before he collapsed in the first marathon of legend, it is said that Pheidippides’s last words were something to the effect of, “Rejoice! We conquer” — a sentiment also applicable to those who cross the finish line in Los Angeles on Sunday, be it after 18 miles or the full 26.2.
Claire Fahy reports on New York City and the surrounding area for The Times.
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