"One Person Collapses Every 100m... The Worst Race" Marathon with 29 Exhausted Participants in Just One Hour

29 Participants Collapse Within 1 Hour of Competition Start
No Life-Threatening Conditions... Competition Ultimately Ends Early

At a nighttime marathon held in Hanam-si, Gyeonggi Province, more than 20 people suffered from heat-related illnesses, leading to the early termination of the event.

On the night of the 17th, participants who collapsed at the night marathon held at Misa Rowing Park in Hanam-si, Gyeonggi-do, are being loaded into an ambulance. /Captured from the live broadcast screen of the Korea Marathon Association's YouTube channel

According to the fire authorities on the 18th, 29 participants showed symptoms of exhaustion within an hour of the marathon that started at 7 p.m. the previous day at Misa Rowing Park Canoe Stadium.

Among them, 19 were transported to nearby university hospitals and other medical facilities for treatment. It was reported that a patient in their 30s lost consciousness, but so far, no one is in critical condition or life-threatening danger.

About 10,000 people participated in the marathon. During the event, the temperature in Hanam-si exceeded 31 degrees Celsius. Due to high humidity, the perceived temperature was 1 to 2 degrees higher.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Participants expressed dissatisfaction on the event’s official website, saying “There were no safety measures at all” and “The worst event.” One participant who took part in the marathon the previous day testified on their blog, “From the middle of the race, people were collapsing, and from the point where 2 km remained, participants were falling approximately every 100 meters,” adding, “There was insufficient lighting, so people shouted when someone collapsed in the darkness.”

The fire authorities issued a Level 1 response immediately after receiving multiple reports of people collapsing from exhaustion and set up an emergency medical station at the site. They also mobilized about 10 vehicles, including ambulances and fire trucks, from nearby areas.

As heat-related illnesses surged, Hanam-si, together with the fire authorities, requested the event organizers to stop the marathon, leading to its early conclusion. The fire authorities completed emergency measures on site and lifted the Level 1 response around 11 p.m.

According to the Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s heat-related illness emergency room surveillance system, as of the 16th, there were 2,704 cases of heat-related illnesses, 327 more than the same period last year. The death toll reached 23.