A 15-year-old participant died during the half marathon in Leiden on Sunday afternoon. The girl, from Oegstgeest, became unwell towards the end of the route. She was immediately resuscitated on the spot, but could not be saved. That confirms the organization.
The Leiden Marathon regulations state that participation is only permitted from the age of 16. Officially, the girl should not have participated in the running event. When asked, organizer Tjeerd Scheffer told the ANP news agency: “Our system is based on the age that participants themselves indicate.”
Scheffer and Mayor Peter Heijkoop of Leiden say they are shocked and upset by the news. “As a father, as a running enthusiast and also as mayor, I sympathize enormously,” said Heijkoop. “And my heart goes out to the family affected by this.”
The participant became unwell around 12 noon. Later in the afternoon, two other distances of the Leiden Marathon would start, the 10 kilometers and the Kidsrun. The organization has this cancelled.
It is not yet known what caused the girl’s death. The conditions during the marathon were basically favorable: the temperature was moderate and there was a breeze. People who witnessed the death have been offered victim assistance.
Last year, a participant in the Leiden Marathon also had to be resuscitated, but that runner survived. However, a 25-year-old half marathon participant died in 2025 Enschede and a 29-year-old participant in the LOOP Leeuwarden running competition.
