Santa Barbara, California: 27 Half Marathon Runners Treated in Hospital as Police Investigate

Santa Barbara police are investigating after 27 runners from Sunday's Santa Barbara Half Marathon went to hospital emergency rooms in Santa Barbara and Goleta with symptoms that officials first called unusual and unexplained.

Cottage Health, which runs the hospitals, said 24 of the 27 runners had been treated and discharged by Monday afternoon, Nov. 9. Three runners remained in hospital in stable condition.

What officials say happened

The 13.1 mile race started at 7 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8, ran in part along the city waterfront, and drew about 7,500 registered runners across the half marathon and the 5K, according to race organizers. Santa Barbara County Public Health said 30 participants received medical treatment during the event. Four were treated and released at the scene, and 26 were taken to emergency departments, 19 to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital and seven to Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital.

The county said the first call for medical help came at about 8:41 a.m. on Sunday, for a runner with symptoms consistent with heat exhaustion, including lightheadedness and feeling faint. Temperatures reached 80 degrees by 10 a.m. and climbed into the mid 80s later in the day, about 10 degrees warmer than Santa Barbara usually sees in early November.

Heat is the working explanation, not a confirmed cause

In a statement issued late Monday, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department said the illnesses appeared to be connected to race participation and the heat. "At this time, the medical incident appears to be an isolated event connected directly to race participation and the heat. There is no indication of a broader public health concern or ongoing risk to the community," the department said.

County inspectors who checked the site where electrolyte drinks were prepared, on Friday and Saturday before the race, found water supplies and other products clean, properly packaged and stored in sanitary conditions, and reported no violations. The department said those checks do not on their own settle what happened at hydration stations during the race itself.

Police have not confirmed a cause. The department opened its investigation after Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital reported a larger than expected number of emergency visits from runners, several with similar symptoms of undetermined cause. Police said no specific action is recommended for the public, and that runners who still feel unwell should seek medical attention.

Organizers point to dehydration and overheating

Event director David Monico said the race medical team treated runners for dehydration and overheating on the course and at the finish, and that 15 people were taken from the medical tent to local hospitals. The organizers, Run Local, said they are cooperating with authorities and have no information suggesting the illnesses were caused by anything other than exertion in an endurance event.

One question the reports leave open is the gap between the early count and the later one. Fire officials first put the number taken to hospital at 19 on Sunday. Cottage Health later counted 27 emergency room visits across its two hospitals, because some runners arrived on their own or as walk ins rather than by ambulance.

Police asked anyone with information, and any runner who felt unwell after the race, to contact Sgt. Andre Miller at 805-897-2330. The investigation remains open, and officials have not announced a final medical explanation.