Rumors swirl that 19 runners who fell ill during Santa Barbara half-marathon were poisoned with ketamine

Wild rumors are rapidly swirling online that 19 runners hospitalized during Sunday’s Santa Barbara half-marathon were actually victims of a ketamine poisoning plot.

The speculation erupted across social media following the weekend race, with users online claiming a specific hydration station at mile 11 was spiked with the drug.

One user on X, @jenlynncallahan, made the claim that the alleged ‘poisoning’ occurred at ‘one hydration booth at mile 11 or 12’.

Meanwhile one user on Reddit wrote: ‘I was one of the runners hospitalized. When I finally came to after being transported in the ambulance the doctor immediately told me and my family these conditions were suspicious and they were near positive it was drug induced. Those of us in the hospital were all young and all in good health.’

However, local authorities and hospital officials have refused to validate the unsubstantiated claims, leaving the official cause of the illnesses undetermined.

In a news release obtained by CBS News on Sunday, the Santa Barbara Police Department confirmed they received a report from a local hospital regarding multiple race participants ‘seeking medical treatment for unusual symptoms’. 

Police noted that the precise cause of the widespread illness has not yet been confirmed, with runners arriving at the hospital both on their own and via ambulance.

‘There is no specific action recommended for the public at this time; however, participants who feel unwell should seek medical attention,’ they said in a statement.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Cottage Health revealed that 19 patients arrived at their emergency departments on Sunday morning, all suffering from similar symptoms of an undetermined cause.

‘We have a larger than expected number of emergency visits that are tracked to participants of this morning’s organized run in SB,’ the statement said.

‘This morning 19 patients arrived at Cottage EDs, a number of them with similar symptoms of undetermined cause.’ 

While race organizers, who spoke with CBS LA, claimed their medical reports pointed toward heat or typical marathon exhaustion, hospital officials are still actively investigating the medical mystery.

The half marathon kicked off at 7am on Cabrillo Boulevard and continued until 11am, but the joyful atmosphere quickly deteriorated as the medical emergencies began.

More than 7,500 people participated in the race, officials said. 

Authorities are now urging anyone with information regarding the bizarre string of illnesses to immediately contact the Santa Barbara Police Department as the critical probe continues.

The Daily Mail has reached out to the Santa Barbara Police Department for comment.