An investigation is underway after runners in New Jersey were forced to wade through waist-deep floodwaters during a half marathon on Sunday as torrential rain inundated the region. Bergen County officials announced Monday that they are reviewing "all of the circumstances" surrounding the privately organized Racefaster Half Marathon in Paramus, placing the organizers on probation with the local parks department's permitting office.
Sunday's severe weather brought heavy rains, causing widespread flooding across Northern New Jersey, as well as in Westchester County, New York, and Fairfield County, Connecticut. Paramus received between four and five inches of rain within a short period.
Videos circulating online show participants struggling through the rapidly moving water, with some holding onto railings on inclines to maintain their balance. Race organizer Racefaster reportedly pushed the start time back by two hours but did not cancel the event, and the course remained unaltered, following the path of the Saddle River.
"People were surprised it was going on. I think a lot of reasonable people walked away and got back in their cars. I think a lot of other reasonable people stopped about halfway through," runner Theo Puccio told Fox Weather. "And then there were those of us, like myself, that had a really fun time but were worried about the sanitary conditions of the water."
Puccio, who posted viral videos of his experience, noted the competitive nature of the final miles despite the conditions. Another runner, Garret Nathan, told NBC 4 New York that he received no notifications from race directors about a cancellation. "I kept checking my email from the race directors and get no notifications about a cancelling," Nathan stated. "I'm like 'alright, I guess we're just actually doing this thing' because it was such a downpour and you couldn't even walk on the grass. It was muddy. It was all flooded out."
Nathan expressed surprise that no changes were made to the route after encountering "five or six" river crossings where the water was visibly high.
According to Bergen County officials, agencies had advised Racefaster to use an alternate route to avoid areas with a high risk of flooding. The county indicated that some participants disregarded this advice and proceeded through the floodwaters at their own risk. Despite the challenging conditions, approximately 250 people completed the race, with Puccio finishing fourth overall and first in his age group.
