RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond Ambulance Authority (RAA) employees transported 14 people to the hospital during an unseasonably warm Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k.
An RAA spokesperson couldn’t provide specific details for the reason behind the transports or whether the patients were runners or spectators.
High temperatures forced organizers of the 2026 Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k to turn some runners around about two hours into the race on Saturday.
Sports Backers updated their Event Alert flag system to red after consulting with their medical team and emergency personnel.
"Attention: Due to high temperatures, and in accordance with our event alert system, we are now operating at a Red Alert level. Any participants who have not reached the intersection of Malvern and Monument by 10:35AM will be turned around early," organizers texted runners and walkers.
Organizers said they made the call "to ensure the continued safety of all participants."
A race participant tells CBS 6 she saw first responders perform CPR on another runner along the route.
Tiffany Homeyer said she did not finish the race because she suffered heat exhaustion about four miles into the 6.2-mile race. She said she recognized the signs when she began having chills and "real bad" nausea.
"I stopped and had some wonderful volunteers come help with water and call for medical," she wrote. "The medics from Richmond Ambulance Authority were very nice and evaluated me. Luckily, no ride to the hospital."
Temperatures were in the upper 50s and lower 60s before the race started, with forecasts predicting it would hit 80 degrees before noon.
For comparison, last year's event had sprinkles and temperatures in the 40s to around 50 degrees, with wind chills in the 30s to lower 40s.
Leading up to the race, Sports Backers communicated with meteorologists and medical experts about the warmer forecast, encouraging participants to hydrate and "listen to their bodies."
Nearly 27,000 runners and walkers took part in the Saturday event presented by Kroger.
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