Received an email from the Pikes Peak Marathon. In part it reads:
"Furthermore, requiring all runners to carry a jacket and at least a 12-ounce refillable and sealable water bottle enhances the safety for all runners. You are running up a 14,000+ foot mountain and must be prepared for unpredictable weather changes. Many Pikes Peak Marathon + Ascent veteran runners will remember the years the race has been turned around due to extreme weather. There is no easy way to get off the mountain quickly, so having hydration and a jacket available can be essential or even life-saving in the event of extenuating circumstances."
As far as I know, the race has only been stopped short of the summit once, in 2018, due to the possibility of extreme weather (the weather turned out to be near perfect). Requiring a person to carry a jacket and water seems completely unnecessary. It's like requiring someone to carry a life jacket in the Cooper River Bridge Run just in case you accidently fall off of the bridge. I've run the Ascent and didn't even drink any water during the race. It's only a HM, almost completely under trees, and the weather is usually fairly cool.