Marathon Cutoff Shortened by Severe Weather Threat

Organizers of Saturday’s Country Music Marathon have instituted a time limit of four-and-a-half hours due to the threat of severe weather. That means anyone who runs slower than a ten-and-a-half minute mile will only be allowed to finish the half-marathon instead of the 26-mile course.

A race spokesman says the new cutoff will impact about 1,000 runners. That’s out of a field of more than 30,000 participants.

Weather patterns could change before the start time, but organizers say the marathon will likely be subject to an abbreviated timeline for safety reasons.