Former "The Bachelorette" contestant Zac Clark was among the participants in Sunday's Racefaster Half Marathon in Paramus, New Jersey, who encountered severe flash flooding along the course. Videos shared by participants show runners navigating waist-deep water in an underpass, with some struggling to maintain their footing.
Clark captured footage of the conditions, exclaiming, "Bro, this is nuts!" The video depicted runners holding onto railings for support as they waded through the rising water.
Despite local flash flood warnings, race organizers proceeded with the event after postponing its start time by two hours. Many participants expressed confusion and concern about why the race was not canceled given the weather advisories.
"I started getting all these national flood warnings for the area saying, 'Flash flood warning, watch out,'" runner Garrett Nathan told NBC New York. "I keep checking my email from the race directors and get no notifications about them canceling, so I’m like, ‘OK,'" he added, describing his hesitation to start the race.
Paramus received four to five inches of rain on Sunday, causing significant pooling along the race route, particularly near the Saddle River. Approximately 250 runners completed the race despite the challenging conditions.
Race Faster Half Marathon organizers did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the decision to continue the event amid the flooding.