Runners react to Half Marathon Mystery

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 Cottage Hospitals in Santa Barbara and Goleta, but it is still not clear what caused them to feel sick.

A few remained overnight.

People running along Leadbetter Beach before sunsey on Monday said athletes have been talking about it.

Jason Smith, ran the half marathon last year but said this year he went to Los Angeles to take part in Diplo's Run Club 5 K and post-race music festival.

Smith said he knows a nurse who helped care for some of the runners in Santa Barbara.

"The only thing he said is it was suspicious he said because people they had to shake to wake up that their pupils were dilated," said Smith.

All the runners seem wary of rumors.

"It is one of those things where there's a lot of rumors and you only have to say one thing and it is a game of telephone," said Smith.

Sunday's race sold out and many of the people in came from out of state, making it a boom for local hotels and businesses.

"It is something you really dot think about when you register for something like that it will certainly weigh in the back of my mind as i consider moving forward," Ian Mclelland.

"I don't know I am bummed that I missed out on it but I am hoping everyone is okay and feeling better and can come back from this," said Carly Tanowitz.

They are hoping investigators will get to the bottom of what happened before they run their next races.

Yours News Channel will have more reaction tonight on the news.