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Santa Barbara police are investigating after 27 people sought emergency medical care following a half-marathon held in the city on Sunday, with a local hospital describing the symptoms as “unusual” and the cause still unconfirmed.
Officers said they received a report from Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital about race participants who sought treatment “for unusual symptoms” after the event ended. “The cause of the reported symptoms has not been confirmed,” the police statement said. Authorities added there was “no specific action recommended for the public at this time” but urged anyone who felt unwell to seek medical attention.
Cottage Health, which operates the hospital, said it had seen “a larger than expected number of emergency visits” from runners. Of the 27 people treated at emergency rooms in Santa Barbara and the nearby city of Goleta, 24 were discharged after treatment. Three remained in hospital as of Monday in stable condition.
Heat on an atypical November day
Several thousand people ran the half-marathon along the Pacific Ocean on a day when temperatures reportedly reached 86°F (30°C) by midday — well above the low 70s Fahrenheit typical for early November in the area. Event director David Monico told US media that 15 people were taken from the medical tent to local hospitals because of dehydration and overheating.
One runner who was hospitalised told local outlet KEYT-TV that they had lost consciousness and could not remember portions of the race. “It is awfully suspicious,” the runner, who declined to be identified, said. “We had people saying they were hallucinating.” The runner added: “I am not too familiar with heat exhaustion but I have never seen anyone not remembering a long portion of their run.”
The BBC said it had contacted the Santa Barbara Police Department, Cottage Health and the race organisers for further comment. No additional official explanation had been provided at the time of reporting.