Road races cancelled after Leeuwarden half-marathon runner dies

A runner has died after collapsing near the end of a half-marathon race in Leeuwarden in which hundreds of participants struggled with high temperatures.

The man collapsed 75 metres from the finish of the LOOP Leeuwarden event on Groeneweg on Sunday afternoon, on a day when the temperature reached 24 degrees.

Emergency service workers flew to the scene by air ambulance, but they were unable to resuscitate the man.

Race organiser Jochem van Weelie told Omroep Fryslân: “We know things like this can happen, but it’s still a shock. It’s a tragedy. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.”

Organisers suspended the half marathon and cancelled the 5km and 10km races that were scheduled for later in the afternoon because they were unable to cope with the large numbers of people needing medical support.

Around 9,000 people had signed up for the races in the Frisian capital. Runners were advised in advance to take precautions and sponges and ice packs were handed out along the course.

“The pressure on our medical support team was so intense during the half-marathon that the safety of participants in LOOP Leeuwarden could not be guaranteed,” a statement by the organisers said.

Another runner had to be resuscitated by ambulance staff during the Leiden marathon on Sunday, Omroep West reported.

Last year’s race had to be suspended after hospitals struggled to cope with large numbers of people suffering from the effects of heat, but organisers said this year’s race was more manageable.

“The north-easterly breeze was important, because the wind chill reduced the perceived temperature,” a spokesman said.