Boston Marathon Grants 2,160 Deferments From Heat

BOSTON (AP) — Boston Marathon officials have granted 2,160 deferments into the 2013 race to runners who opted to sit out this year because of the heat.

Boston Athletic Association spokesman Marc Davis says those runners will have a chance to register in August, before the rest of the field sign up. The B.A.A. doesn't know how many will take it up on the offer.

The total field will remain at 27,000.

With temperatures forecast in the high 80s, the B.A.A. encouraged runners to skip April's race and run next year instead. To be eligible for a deferment, runners had to pick up their bib number but sit the race out.

About 2,200 runners were on the original list, but 45 were identified in photographs as running the race after all.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.