Runners who splashed through chest-deep floodwater during a chaotic half marathon in Saddle River County Park will not face charges, Bergen County officials have confirmed, after questions arose about whether some racers deliberately bypassed safety detours during the September 13 flash flood. The 250-finisher Racefaster Half Marathon became a viral spectacle after footage showed competitors gripping bridge railings to stay upright in rushing water, but the fallout has landed squarely on the event's organizer rather than its participants.
Investigation Clears Runners, But Questions Lingered Over a Pond
According to NJ.com, runners will face no legal trouble following the county probe, even though officials had initially said some competitors might face consequences for allegedly avoiding an alternate route or entering a pond near the course. Derek Sands, spokesperson for Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco, said no citations or arrests have been made. Authorities had specifically probed whether runners deliberately bypassed a detour near the Route 4 underpass inside Saddle River County Park, though that scrutiny ultimately produced no enforcement action. News 12 New Jersey reported that the county was investigating whether participants entered restricted areas and whether the organizer complied with permit conditions.
While runners emerged without penalty, the race's organizer did not. Sands said Bergen County issued a permit for the half marathon but did not sponsor or manage the event itself, a distinction that led the county parks department to slap Racefaster with a one-year ban from holding events in Bergen County parks, as reported by Patch. Racefaster hosted the half marathon and was responsible for race planning, management, and operation, per NJ.com's reporting.
A Storm That Turned the Trail Into a River
The chaos traces back to the morning of September 13, when torrential rain dumped up to 5 inches across Bergen County, causing the Saddle River to crest more than a foot above flood stage and submerge trail underpasses, according to The Ridgewood Blog. The National Weather Service had issued a Flash Flood Warning at 8:53 a.m. that morning specifically naming Paramus and Fair Lawn — more than an hour before the rescheduled race even began — warning of life-threatening flooding from 2 to 3 inches of existing rainfall, per Marathon Handbook.
Organizers had moved the start time from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. the night before the race, but the same outlet reported that participants received no email notifications or cancellation warnings about the active flash flood risk. Saddle River County Park itself spans 577 acres across six Bergen County towns, and its 6-mile paved trail dips under major highway bridges like Route 4 — creating low points right next to the riverbank that filled rapidly once the river overflowed.
Waist-Deep Water and a Mid-Race Detour
By the fifth mile, competitors had encountered three or four flooded sections, with water reaching kneecaps in some spots and waists in others. Canadian Running Magazine reported that racers waded through chest-deep water while holding bridge handrails against strong currents, all while contending with hidden hazards like potholes and submerged glass beneath the surface — details confirmed by Canadian Running Magazine.
At the ninth mile, race officials finally stopped runners from crossing another flooded section, directing them up a hill, onto a roadway, and back down to reconnect with the course. The county advised Racefaster to use an alternate route, but participants disregarded it and used the original route. At least one runner stopped after seeing water on the path.
Swiftwater search-and-rescue technician and race director Jeff Le publicly criticized the operation as extremely negligent and dangerous.
A Reality TV Star's Viral Detour
Among the finishers was Zac Clark, a former Bachelorette contestant, who posted video of himself gripping a railing in waist-high floodwater that quickly went viral. Clark finished third in his age group with a chip time of one hour, 40 minutes and 42 seconds, running at a pace of about 7:41 per mile — roughly a minute slower per mile than his goal, which he attributed to the flooding.
Clark had signed up for the Paramus race as training for the upcoming New York City Marathon. During the race, he said, “Bro, this is nuts,” and mentioned that runners had crossed many rivers.
For now, the fallout from the Racefaster Half Marathon includes no charges for runners, and the event's organizer is locked out of Bergen County parks for a year. But the underlying question of how an organized road race proceeded beneath an active federal flash flood warning remains central to how the county and future event organizers approach permitting along the Saddle River going forward.
