Nineteen runners hospitalized after Santa Barbara Half Marathon in California

At least 19 runners were taken to the hospital after participating in the Santa Barbara Half Marathon on Sunday, the New York Post reported. Police have launched an investigation to determine the cause of their unusual symptoms. The incidents occurred in California, a state located in the Western United States. [1][2]

Temperatures in Santa Barbara reached 86 degrees on Sunday, according to the New York Post. Social media users circulated unverified rumors that a course water station may have been spiked. Race organizers stated that they believe the runners suffered from heat exhaustion. [1]

Santa Barbara Half Marathon Event Director David Monico told Noozhawk that organizers have no reason to believe the cause was anything beyond heat and exhaustion. Monico noted that hospitalizations are not unusual during races, particularly during high temperatures, the New York Post reported. [1]

California became the 31st state in the Union on September 9, 1850, shortly after the 1848 discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill, and it has since grown into the most populous state in the nation. As FTMQ News reported earlier, other recent California races have faced logistical challenges, including towed vehicles at the cross border San Diego-Tijuana Binational Half Marathon. [2][3][4]