How is climate change affecting sports and events around the globe?

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：/Louisa Gouliamaki

Meg Jones

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From the Swiss Alps to the Rocky Mountains, ski resorts around the globe are struggling to cope with the impacts of climate change. As temperatures continue to rise, snowfall is melting at an alarming rate—recent research even suggests that by 2100, one-eighth of the world’s ski destinations could be left without snow cover altogether.

But this isn’t a concept of the future—today’s ski resorts are already suffering losses. As mountain slopes turn green and snowfields melt under unprecedented heat, several ski destinations have been forced to shut down. The Alps experienced record-breaking temperatures over Christmas and New Year’s—reaching as high as 20.9°C in northwestern Switzerland.

These snow-free slopes aren’t just affecting individual resorts—they’re also spilling over to impact entire towns whose economies rely heavily on ski tourism.

By increasing investments in bike paths, hiking trails, and walking routes—and by utilizing artificial snow—tourism in these regions must adapt and evolve to address the growing climate threats.

Mobile Marathon

As extreme weather conditions continue to escalate, marathon and long-distance races around the world have been postponed, canceled, or even held at midnight—to prevent threats to human life.

Due to the high daytime temperatures in Doha, organizers of the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Qatar chose to start the women’s marathon at 11:59 p.m. local time.

However, nighttime temperatures also soared above 32°C, with humidity reaching as high as 70%, and out of the 68 competitors, 28 failed to finish the race.

It’s not just the scorching heat that’s changing the marathon experience. The New York City Marathon Training Series 18M was canceled in September 2023 due to severe flooding.

A recent study found that by the end of the 21st century, climate change could reduce the number of global cities suitable for hosting Olympic marathons by 27%. As a result, the study recommends holding marathons in October to safeguard both regional diversity and human health.

Wildfire smoke

Last year, the U.S. baseball, basketball, and soccer teams united as one to take on a common foe: wildfires.

In June 2023, approximately 75 million people received air quality alerts as wildfire smoke from Canada blanketed major U.S. cities. The intensity of the smoke prompted the Major League Baseball, the Women's National Basketball Association, and the National Women's Soccer League to cancel games due to concerns about poor air quality.

Frequent wildfires worldwide have led to rising pollution levels, exacerbating respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. The forum's report highlights that by 2060, these risks could result in as many as 9 million premature deaths annually.

For some baseball teams, climate change has had varying effects. Researchers have found that since 2010, climate change has contributed to more than 500 additional home runs, as rising temperatures reduce air resistance, allowing balls to travel farther through the air.

This means that, due to global warming, home runs have increased by an average of 58 per season.

Climate change is threatening the future of sports events. As extreme weather events become increasingly common, implementing adaptive measures is becoming more critical to safeguard athletes, fans, and the events themselves.

Many people have already begun adapting to the new normal—to safeguard their sport and preserve its meaning for the community, the spirit of athletics, and future generations.

The above content solely represents the author's personal views.This article is translated from the World Economic Forum's Agenda blog; the Chinese version is for reference purposes only.Feel free to share this on WeChat Moments; please leave a comment below the post if you’d like to republish.

Editor: Wang Can

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