Marathon cancelled

I've just returned from a morning jaunt around Pasadena..... no, not a 26 mile jaunt. Just the hell-as-long-as-I'm-up-anyway-might-as-well-bike-around jaunt. Why was I up? My promised 4:00 a.m. email did not come. Nor was there any update on the website. Would that have been too much to ask?

So I got up and started biking over, with my girlfriend (who was doing the 5k, having signed up too late for the half-marathon). Two minutes in, we came across a sign saying it was canceled.

Lots of people were pulling up to Pasadena Community College, only to be turned away. Several overheard conversations indicated a lot of people had no idea there was a possibility of it being canceled. What a fiasco! I'm glad I live 1.5 miles from the starting line, instead of being from out of town.

At least I got to see a nice sunrise and got the first Europane pastries of the day.

Some notes:

-What next? Rescheduling? Will there be a new marathon? Presumably , they will actually update the website at some point. I believe we have a reporter on this story today. If not, someone will definitely be on it tomorrow.

-Do I get my money back?

-Overheard from a pack of bikers: "Well what do we do now?" Reply: "Let's head up to Mount Wilson." No idea if they really intended to do it.

-Around 7:00 marathon participants began running through the Lake/Colorado Avenue.....I guess, like us, they figured they might as well since they were awake anyway.

-It will be interesting to hear why they decided to schedule this marathon in November. It is pretty late in fire season, but still a date that had a chance of having smoke inhalation problems.

-Several PCC security guards I spoke with were pretty unhappy to hear that there was no website notification of the cancellation.... must have been a long morning for them telling the same story again and again.

UPDATE: It appears that based on comments on this blog that some people who signed up for the newsletter list did get email notification this morning. I signed up last night, which apparently was too late. I wish it hadn't been as maybe I could have saved some other people some hassle by updating this blog. I still think the website should have been updated at 4:00. Here is the email (reproduced from comments section):

We regret to inform you that we have been compelled to cancel today's Kaiser Permanente Pasadena Marathon as a result of the significant wildfires in the Los Angeles area and resulting unsafe air quality. Pasadena Forward's decision was made in consultation with the Kaiser Permanente Medical Team and the City of Pasadena. Please know that it was extremely difficult to arrive at this decision, and we know that this is a disappointing outcome for all of us who have worked so hard for this inaugural event. However, the only appropriate response to this emergent situation, given that the safety and well-being of our participants is at the forefront of our concerns, was to cancel. Over the next several days, we will hold discussions to determine appropriate next steps. Once concrete plans have been developed, updates will be posted at www.pasadenamarathon.org. All registered participants will also be notified via email of all important updates. Thank you for your support and patience as we work through this challenge. We hope you are safe and well. Israel Estrada Executive Director, Pasadena Forward