Fargo marathon wraps up in the midst of poor air quality

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - Runners from all over the world were ready to push themselves, either running a marathon, a half marathon, or a 10K.

This year, health professionals advised runners to be aware of their breathing during the race, given that the air quality was expected to be poor.

“People should be aware that with the smoke, the air quality is going to be decreased, especially if you have a history of respiratory issues like asthma,” said Josh Honeyman, emergency physician at Essentia Health.

Due to the smoke from the wildfires in Canada, race officials urged runners to pace themselves, listen to their bodies, and even consider running shorter distances.

“We’ve been working closely with the city and with the National Weather Service. So, I think the main message to runners, which we sent out yesterday, is, you know, “Just take it slower; consider running a shorter distance if you have a condition that might be exacerbated by the air quality, but it may not be the day for a PR,” said Chip Hazewski.

Some people who competed in the races said the poor air quality didn’t bother them.

“I’m from Minot, North Dakota. We live pretty close to the border, so it’s pretty hazy up there. So it’s something I’m kind of used to,” said Hennessy.

“I heard a couple of days ago that it was probably going to roll in. I guess for me, personally, I haven’t had to do much changing but I’m sure there will be people that will have to,” Rod Schmitz.

Even with the decreased air quality, Munir Isahak ended up winning the 10K race, a race that he’s won in Fargo before.

“I won it 2 years ago. That was kind of fun and then last year, we had a wrong turn doing the race, so I ended up going 2 miles extra and I ended up finishing in 5th place last year. But it’s okay to be back and have the course the right way this year and win it,” said Isahak.

Health experts at Essentia were ready to go during the weekend-long event, setting up a medical tent every two miles for each race.

Health experts also recommended that runners carry an inhaler throughout the race, especially if they have a history of respiratory issues.

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