Coverage dated November 8, 2026 to November 11, 2026

27 runners get sick in 'suspicious' half-marathon incident

Headline from FOX8 WGHP

SANTA BARBARA, Cali. (KTLA) — Police are investigating "suspicious circumstances" after a half-marathon in Santa Barbara sent 27 participants to emergency departments Sunday, including two runners who officials said were receiving treatment in intensive care.

FOX8 WGHP's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.

Reports & sources

42 articles, oldest first.

  1. NBC Los Angeles

    Police investigating after half-marathoners in Santa Barbara report ‘unusual symptoms' (opens NBC Los Angeles)

    Published

    NBC Los Angeles's feed description

    Multiple half-marathon participants in Santa Barbara went to the hospital with “unusual symptoms” after the event on Sunday, prompting a police investigation. The participants seeking medical treatment arrived at Santa Barbara and Goleta Valley Cottage Hospitals by ambulance, self-transportation or …

  2. Nooz Hawk

    19 Santa Barbara Half Marathon Runners Taken to Area Hospitals (opens Nooz Hawk)

    Published

    Nooz Hawk's feed description

    Nineteen Santa Barbara Half Marathon runners were transported to area hospitals on Sunday, according to the Santa Barbara City Fire Department. Emergency crews responded to a handful of areas along the parade route, including on State and Cota streets, between 9:40 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.

  3. KEYT Santa Barbara

    Multiple hospitalizations from Santa Barbara half-marathon under investigation (opens KEYT Santa Barbara)

    Published

    KEYT Santa Barbara's feed description

    SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Multiple hospitalizations from the Santa Barbara half-marathon are under investigation, according to Cottage Health. Several runners in Sunday's event needed admission to Cottage Hospital for various health concerns of similar symptoms but unknown causes.

  4. ABC 7 Los Angeles

    More than a dozen runners fall ill during Santa Barbara half marathon (opens ABC 7 Los Angeles)

    Published

    ABC 7 Los Angeles's feed description

    More than a dozen runners were being treated after falling ill during a half marathon in Santa Barbara on Sunday, officials said.

  5. Santa Barbara News-Press

    19 runners fall ill, hospitalized, after running in Santa Barbara Half-Marathon (opens Santa Barbara News-Press)

    Published

    Santa Barbara News-Press's feed description

    Mystery surrounds reasons why runners inexplicably got sick and needed medical attention; police investigating

  6. Los Angeles Times

    More than a dozen runners fall ill at Santa Barbara half-marathon (opens Los Angeles Times)

    Published

    Los Angeles Times's feed description

    At least 19 competitors in a Santa Barbara half marathon were hospitalized on Sunday. Race organizers said heat exhaustion was the cause, but medical professionals have yet to make a final determination.

  7. NBC Los Angeles

    Health officials say 30 runners treated during Santa Barbara Half Marathon (opens NBC Los Angeles)

    Published

    NBC Los Angeles's feed description

    A screenshot of a video from the Santa Barbara Half Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026.

  8. Cleveland Plain Dealer

    19 runners hospitalized with ‘unusual symptoms’ after CA half-marathon; police investigating (opens Cleveland Plain Dealer)

    Published

    Cleveland Plain Dealer's feed description

    Police said the race participants had "similar symptoms of undetermined cause."

  9. ABC 7 New York

    At least 19 runners hospitalized after falling ill during Santa Barbara Half Marathon (opens ABC 7 New York)

    Published

    ABC 7 New York's feed description

    The cause of the illnesses was not immediately known but an area hospital said they are looking into the possibility of the heat.

  10. New York Post

    At least 19 runners rushed to hospital with ‘unusual symptoms’ at California half marathon as rumors swirl over cause (opens New York Post)

    Published

    New York Post's feed description

    Temperatures in Santa Barbara reached 86 degrees on Sunday, and Monico said hospitalizations are not unusual during races, particularly when temperatures are high.

  11. KTLA Los Angeles

    Mystery surrounds hospitalization of 19 half-marathon runners in Santa Barbara (opens KTLA Los Angeles)

    Published

    KTLA Los Angeles's feed description

    Nineteen runners at a half-marathon in Santa Barbara were hospitalized Sunday for reasons that remain unknown. Cottage Health Public Relations Manager Cristina Cortez told the Santa Barbara News-Press that the runners arrived at local hospitals with “similar symptoms of undetermined cause.

  12. Fox News

    California police probe 'suspicious circumstances' after nearly 20 hospitalized following half-marathon (opens Fox News)

    Published

    Fox News's feed description

    Santa Barbara Police Department is probing suspicious circumstances after 19 half-marathon runners sought emergency care for unusual symptoms.

  13. FOX 8 Cleveland

    19 runners at Santa Barbara half-marathon hospitalized: Reports (opens FOX 8 Cleveland)

    Published

    FOX 8 Cleveland's feed description

    On Reddit, some users speculate the water at hydration stations was possibly contaminated.

  14. KEYT Santa Barbara

    Numbers Grow as Marathon Mystery Remains an Active Investigation in Santa Barbara (opens KEYT Santa Barbara)

    Published

    KEYT Santa Barbara's feed description

    A marathon mystery is under investigation after 25 people were hospitalized in Santa Barbara. They reported all got sick in one area near the finish line.

  15. Nooz Hawk

    Hospitals Discharge 19 Santa Barbara Half Marathon Runners after ‘Unusual Symptoms’ (opens Nooz Hawk)

    Published

    Nooz Hawk's feed description

    Cottage Health hospitals have discharged 19 Santa Barbara Half Marathon runners who sought medical treatment after Sunday’s event, a spokesperson confirmed. Six patients were still in the hospital in stable condition, spokesperson Cristina Cortez said Monday morning.

  16. Philadelphia Inquirer

    Santa Barbara police investigate after 25 half marathon runners seek medical care (opens Philadelphia Inquirer)

    Published

    Philadelphia Inquirer's feed description

    At least two dozen runners in the Santa Barbara Half Marathon over the weekend were taken to the hospital

  17. KTLA Los Angeles

    ‘I was unconscious’: 27 runners fall ill in ‘suspicious’ California half-marathon incident (opens KTLA Los Angeles)

    Published

    KTLA Los Angeles's feed description

    Police are investigating "suspicious circumstances" after a half-marathon in Santa Barbara sent 27 participants to emergency departments Sunday, including two runners who officials said were receiving treatment in intensive care.

  18. Los Angeles Times

    Police launch probe after Santa Barbara half-marathon runners with 'unusual symptoms' seek medical care (opens Los Angeles Times)

    Published

    Los Angeles Times's feed description

    Police in Santa Barbara launched an investigation this week after more than two dozen half-marathon runners showed up at hospitals with "unusual symptoms" after participating in a race on Sunday.

  19. KEYT Santa Barbara

    Runners react to Half Marathon Mystery (opens KEYT Santa Barbara)

    Published

    KEYT Santa Barbara's feed description

    SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) The Santa Barbara Half Marathon mystery is on the minds of local runners. Many of them heard that dozens of people fell ill toward the end of the run. About 7500 runners took part in the half marathon and 5 K on Sunday morning. More than two dozens ended up at

  20. The Guardian

    Police investigate as nearly 30 Santa Barbara half-marathon runners fall ill with ‘unusual symptoms’ (opens The Guardian)

    Published

    The Guardian's feed description

    Runners seek medical treatment as 13-mile race held amid unusually high November temperatures Police in southern California are investigating the circumstances that led to the hospitalization of nearly 30 runners who participated in the Santa Barbara Half on Sunday.

  21. The Santa Barbara Independent

    County Health Department Issues Update After 26 Runners in Santa Barbara Half-Marathon & 5K Hospitalized Under ‘Suspicious Circumstances’ (opens The Santa Barbara Independent)

    Published

    The Santa Barbara Independent's feed description

    The hospitalizations were likely the result of running in the heat, the health department says, but the cause of the incident remains under police investigation.

  22. MLive

    Cause of mystery illness revealed for 27 runners in Santa Barbara half-marathon (opens MLive)

    Published

    MLive's feed description

    Police launched an investigation.

  23. FOX8 WGHP

    27 runners get sick in 'suspicious' half-marathon incident (opens FOX8 WGHP)

    Published

    FOX8 WGHP's feed description

    SANTA BARBARA, Cali. (KTLA) — Police are investigating "suspicious circumstances" after a half-marathon in Santa Barbara sent 27 participants to emergency departments Sunday, including two runners who officials said were receiving treatment in intensive care.

  24. New York Post

    Cause of mystery sickness that left 27 runners in hospital during Santa Barbara Half Marathon (opens New York Post)

    Published

    New York Post's feed description

    The mystery surrounding why dozens of runners experienced “unusual symptoms” during the Santa Barbara Half Marathon on Sunday appears to have been solved.

  25. KEYT Santa Barbara

    All Hospitalized Runners Discharged As Local Police Investigate Half-Marathon Incident (opens KEYT Santa Barbara)

    Published

    KEYT Santa Barbara's feed description

    SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – All three people who were still hospitalized after a suspicious incident during a local half-marathon Sunday have been discharged from the hospital and the investigation into what exactly happened remains ongoing.

Showing the first 25 of 26 headlines. ·

Identical headlines usually mean shared wire copy. They are counted as separate articles but are not independent confirmation.

27 runners get sick in 'suspicious' half-marathon incident | Since Then