Heat emergency declared at Groningen Marathon after several runners fall ill

Under sunny skies in Groningen, multiple participants became unwell across the entire marathon course on Sunday, prompting emergency services to declare a Grip 1 emergency situation. Grip 1 is a coordination structure used when multiple emergency services must work together at the scene.

At the time the incident was declared, temperatures reached 21 degrees Celsius, feeling like 24 degrees. According to WeerOnline, the UV index has also reached 6, indicating a risk of sunburn within 15 to 25 minutes of exposure.

The Veiligheidsregio Groningen said runners fell ill at different points along the route rather than in a single location, requiring coordinated emergency response across the event. Dagblad van het Noorden reported that several ambulances were continuously moving in and out of the course to treat affected participants.

A Command Post Incident (CoPI) was established on site with a designated incident commander, and a Mobile Command Unit (MCU), described as a “crisis center on wheels,” was deployed to support operations.

The event began at 9:15 a.m. with the half marathon, followed by the full marathon at 10:30 a.m. The program also included a 10-kilometer race and a 2.5-kilometer kids’ run.