41.3°C body temperature: Multiple participants collapse at Tyrolean mountain race

Extreme heat led to multiple collapses among participants during the "Kaiserkrone Trail" mountain race in Scheffau, Austria, on Saturday. The Tyrolean State Police reported on Sunday that two Dutch nationals and one Austrian runner had to be rescued by mountain rescue teams after succumbing to the high temperatures.

One of the affected runners, a 35-year-old Austrian, experienced severe overheating during the descent near the Rehbachklamm at an altitude of 910 meters. He collapsed around 12:20 PM and was subsequently flown by helicopter to the Kufstein district hospital. His condition stabilized after treatment in the emergency room.

Earlier, mountain rescuers had assisted two Dutch participants. A 27-year-old suffered from overheating during the Panorama run at 10:42 AM near the Kaiser-Hochalm (1,420 meters) and had to withdraw. Shortly after, a 39-year-old Dutch runner reported acute shock symptoms, including repeated vomiting, after abandoning the Ultra-Trail. He had made his way back to the Steiner Hochalm (1,260 meters) where he was also rescued by the Scheffau mountain rescue team.

Organizers had preemptively started all races an hour earlier than scheduled due to the anticipated extreme heat. The Kaiserkrone Ultra covers 56 kilometers with 3,640 meters of elevation gain, while the Panorama involves 30 kilometers and 1,500 meters of elevation. Other race distances included the Skyrace (24.7 km, 2,690m), Medium (20.7 km, 1,290m), and Short (8.3 km, 490m).