Santa Barbara Half Marathon: 30 runners treated, 26 sent to ERs, and county says heat was the trigger

Thirty runners needed medical treatment at Sunday's Santa Barbara Half Marathon, and 26 of them went to emergency departments, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department said Monday, as reported by NBC Los Angeles. The race had 7,500 registered participants. Four people were treated and released at the scene.

What officials have said

County health officials said the incident appears isolated and directly connected to race participation and heat, with no sign of a broader public health concern or ongoing risk to the community. The first call for help came at about 8:41 a.m., for a runner with symptoms consistent with heat exhaustion, such as lightheadedness. More calls followed along the course. No spectators were affected.

Santa Barbara police opened an inquiry after the local hospital reported race participants seeking care "for unusual symptoms." Police said the cause had not been confirmed, according to BBC News, which cited CBS News. The county said the cause of the incident remains under investigation.

The numbers differ by source

Counts vary because outlets are measuring different things. Cottage Health told CBS it treated 27 people from the race at emergency rooms in Santa Barbara and Goleta; 24 were discharged and three were still in hospital Monday in stable condition. The county's 26 refers to everyone taken to an emergency department, and its 30 includes those treated on course. The event director said 15 people were taken from the medical tent to hospitals for dehydration and overheating.

Heat and the drink question

BBC reported that temperatures reportedly reached 86F by midday, against a typical early November high in the low 70s. County environmental health staff inspected the site where electrolyte drinks were prepared and found no violations, both on Monday's review and in an inspection two days before the race. Water and other products were packaged and stored sanitarily, the county said.

One runner told local outlet KEYT-TV of losing consciousness and not remembering parts of the race, as BBC reported. Those symptoms can be consistent with severe heat illness, but we have no confirmed diagnosis, and officials have not named a cause.

What to do

County health officer Dr. Henning Ansorg urged anyone who was at the race, as a runner or spectator, and still has symptoms to seek medical attention and follow up with a physician, urgent care or an emergency department. Police said there is no specific action recommended for the public.

We will update this story if the county or police name a cause.

Sources: Santa Barbara County Public Health Department (via NBC Los Angeles); BBC News; CBS News (as cited by BBC). This is news reporting, not medical advice.