Child With Concussion Stranded by Marathon Traffic Controls...Escorted to Hospital With Police Help

Swift Response, Including Handing Injured Runner Over to Ambulance

The police responded swiftly to several emergency situations during the 2026 Daegu Marathon, including quickly escorting a child with a concussion to a hospital.

Participants are making a vigorous start on the 22nd in the "2026 Daegu Marathon" held around Daegu Stadium in Suseong-gu, Daegu. Daegu City

On the 22nd, the Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency announced that it had promptly responded to emergencies that occurred during the 2026 Daegu Marathon held in the downtown area. According to the Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency, at around 12:15 p.m. that day, a K7 sedan carrying a child estimated to be six years old who had suffered a concussion near the former Dongbu Fire Station in Dong-gu, Daegu, was wandering the roads due to traffic controls for the marathon and asked the police for help. The police escorted the sedan to a nearby hospital with a patrol car from the scene. Thanks to this, the child and guardian were able to arrive at the hospital safely.

At around 1:05 p.m. the same day, near Beoman Samgeori in Suseong-gu, a Sorento vehicle carrying a woman complaining of abdominal pain was unable to move due to heavy traffic. The police deployed a sidecar, cleared traffic signals, and helped the vehicle reach a hospital located in Sinmae-dong.

There was also a case in which a runner participating in the marathon received help from the police. At around 10:20 a.m., near Seomun Market Station in Jung-gu, a foreign runner in the elite course fell behind due to an injury. When he became disoriented on the road, the police contacted the organizer, handed the runner over to an ambulance, prevented disruption to the race, and helped avoid secondary injuries. Aside from these incidents, no more serious accidents or incidents were reported.

Meanwhile, according to Daegu City, in this year’s race, Gabriel Gerald Geay of Tanzania took first place overall and in the men’s division. Geay crossed the finish line in 2 hours 8 minutes 11 seconds, one second ahead of the runner-up, becoming the first athlete in the history of the Daegu Marathon to win back-to-back titles in the men’s division.

In the women’s division, Lilian Kasait Rengeruk of Kenya claimed the title with a time of 2 hours 19 minutes 35 seconds. Rengeruk, who is ranked third in the world in the women’s half marathon, ran her first full marathon and set a new event record, improving the previous Daegu Marathon record by about 1 minute and 30 seconds.

The 2026 Daegu Marathon gathered more than 41,200 participants, including top-class elite runners from 15 countries and amateur (masters) runners from 34 countries, making it the largest marathon event in Korea.