Seasoned runner ends up in medical tent with dehydration after half marathon
Reports indicate that despite the relatively mild weather, there were still plenty of cases of dehydration at the finish of this year’s Two Oceans half marathon. The temperature at the final cutoff was 23 degrees according to official weather data. However, humidity was higher than normal – and humid conditions are exacerbated in overcrowded environments. Here’s a letter printed as received from a seasoned runner who ended up in the medical tent with dehydration after the half marathon…
Hi Stuart
I have read your article regarding the questions to the organising committee. I must agree with the water table issue. My running number was 60982, I am 70 years old, a seasoned runner, completed 6 Two Oceans ultras with a best time of 5:03. Completed 14 comrades with best time of 8:47. The water tables were overcrowded so I skipped quite a few. The result was that I was helped over the finishing line and into the medical tent. I must add the doctor at the medical tent must be commended for the work he did on me including an ECG (Electrocardiogram). His finding was that I was badly dehydrated. See pictures attached. I did get a medal though.
Kind regards
Lucky Rambally
Uvongo, KZN
READ MORE: Two Oceans 2025: Questions for the Board
I will publish more reader letters as received. It is especially strange that water tables were missing and unable to cater for the volume of runners when the organisers repeatedly warned runners of an impending heatwave. There was also at least one ultra runner who suffered massive organ failure and was in ICU for a month after the race.
Afterword
Whilst it should be pointed out that Lucky made a conscious decision to skip some tables “due to overcrowding”, the primary accountability for runner safety resides with the organisers. If the water tables are chaotic and cannot handle the volume of runners, the net result will be a lot of runners skipping the tables or taking on too little fluid, not realising the danger that they are putting themselves in. In the 2025 Two Oceans half marathon there was also only one table in the first 9.5km and the ultra had two stretches of 6km with no water. There’s a good chance that a lot of the medical issues arose from this. It’s also amazing that despite issuing the heatwave warning (including the 3am social media announcement) that more provisions to prevent dehydration were not made by the organisers.
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The Two Ocean’s Marathon Board don’t seem to want to take responsibility that their lack of commitment and professionalism to organising an adequately safe event has severe consequences for runners.
Hi Stuart, The water stations with the cups are the culprits.
Just go back with plastic sachets and you won’t have overcrowding at the water stations.
The water stations are causing runners to lose a lot of time…
With plastic sachets (water) you grab you go you drink and you discard into the waste bins or the designated acceptable areas.
With the water in cups those manning can’t keep up: there is a lot of stopping, spilling of water and the runners get into each other faces and some comments are rather inappropriate… runners get stressed when a water table becomes a stress table…
I have five completed Ultras and two completed half at TTOM.
I DNF for the first time at TTOM.
I don’t think 🤔 I DNF because of water but the water stations are problematic which can be solved easily…
Blessed Christian Regards
Hi, runners must also carry there own water bottles which could be refilled.
A lot water is wasted whereby runners pour the water over their heads just to cool down, faster runners should be more considered of slower runners who also requires water. Water is precious and should not be wasted.
Good morning
I have completed 4 Two Oceans but sadly this last race was badly organized. The toilets were a disgrace. On the 21k route there were hardly any and the few that were available were in a shocking state. No man!
I must agree that there were several problems this year logistically and organizationally with the TO half marathon event. But I must say that on a very hot day, I was suitably impressed with the more than adequate supply of water at each water table. Yes, at some tables there were quite a few runners converging at the same time, but it never delayed me at all. Water in the cups were readily available. This year was my 16th TO half marathon.
I have repeatedly contacted Two Oceans regarding a 2022 result that has been stating “under investigation” to be resolved without luck. I also contacted them regarding the Two Oceans medals with the same result.
I have taken part in about 10 Ultras and 9 half marathons this is worst experience of all the races.
This was my first Two Oceans. I do not live in Cape Town so this adds to the cost due to travel and accommodation costs.
The water situation at the Ultra was dismal. I don’t care much about race t-shirts and goodie bags ( which were disappointing), but I do care about my health and if race organisers can’t get basics like water right then they have let runners down. And that is what the Board of Two Oceans are not realising. The race is not for them. It is for us. They should be mortified and embarrassed at what transpired.
But clearly leadership is lacking.
I will not be back anytime soon.
And I suspect many out of Cape Town runners won’t either.
Sorry Farouk , but I don’t agree with your point that runners ahead need to be more considerate of others behind and not be “wasteful” and pour water to cool themselves. The issue here is too many entrants and Ill prepared and inadequately supplied water tables , which is to Stuart’s point a domino effect of the Boards Greed to allow more runners than allowed.
The reason for paper cups is because so many inconsiderate runners littered the route with plastic sachets. I’m still picking up plastic water sachets years later on Noordhoek beach. Runners should be DQ’d for littering.