Probably the Right Call. Probably.

Wow. Yikes. I'm guessing they'll want to start the Chicago Marathon a little bit later next year. Sounds pretty grim -- 88 degrees? Like running in Houston.

Re the water. Um. Hard to say, since I wasn't there. And 35,000+ runners need an awful lot of water. But here's my approach (and doubtless it's unpopular). When you're running a marathon, anything you get from the crowd or race crew is just gravy. You can't expect someone else to handle your nutritional/hydration needs.

Well, you can. But it's a lot more rewarding to take these things as "gifts." Kind of like the marathon equivalent of "trail magic," I suppose.

There's another thing about the Chicago Marathon. It's a fast course. I know people who run it simply because it's supposed to be easier than, say, Jay Peak. But if you're running any 26.2-mile race, thinking you'll be running an "easy" course, you're wrong. And stupid. And your mother probably dresses you funny. Ain't nothing easy about running a marathon. That's why finishing is an accomplishment, whether it's 68 degrees or 88 degrees.

Here's the top of the Chicago Tribune story:

Marathon cut short for first time ever
By Josh Noel, Andrew L. Wang and Carlos Sadovi
Tribune staff reporter
October 8, 2007

The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon was cut short for the first time in its history Sunday as hundreds of runners laboring across ovenlike streets were treated for heat-related illness.

The stoppage happened about 3 1/2 hours after the start gun on an abnormally sweltering autumn day, amid complaints of insufficient water for more than 35,000 runners who had come from around the world to compete in one of its pre-eminent marathons.

One runner, a 35-year-old Michigan police officer, died after collapsing in the race's 19th mile, but it was not clear whether the death was heat-related.

Chad Schieber of Midland, Mich., collapsed about 12 p.m. at 1500 S. Ashland Ave. and was pronounced dead on arrival at a West Side hospital at 12:50 p.m., the medical examiner's office said.

An autopsy will be performed Monday.

Despite the heat, executive race director Carey Pinkowski said race officials never considered canceling the race before it began because they believed the number of people running was manageable and that they could be cared for.

"In most cases they have trained for 25 weeks," he said. "Marathon runners are tough people. They train in difficult conditions."

Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said about 315 runners were taken from the course by ambulance with what he described as heat-related conditions. He said city and suburban ambulances took 146 people to hospitals, most in good condition, and the rest were taken to hospitals or medical aid stations along the route by private ambulances.

Five people remained hospitalized in serious or critical condition Sunday night, Langford said.

Runners described chaotic scenes of racers throwing up, passing out or being carted away on stretchers.

"There were people falling all over the place," said Rob Smith, 40, of Naperville, who was running his first marathon.

Though Schieber's death was not the first fatality in the race's 30-year history—the last was in 2003—it was the first time the event was cut short. Of 35,867 runners who started the race, just 24,933 finished, and by Sunday evening, the marathon's message board, along with Chicago hotels and restaurants, was buzzing with dissatisfaction.

An insanely busy weekend -- lots of cleaning and housework. Got little else done. Ton of day job-related stuff to do today. And still no eggs. Sigh.