Copenhagen half marathon descends into chaos with 3.5-hour baggage delays

A new half marathon in Copenhagen left runners stranded in freezing conditions for hours after organisers failed to transport baggage from the start to the finish line, Danish broadcaster DR reports.

Around 3,500 participants took part in Sunday’s inaugural Royal Copenhagen City Half, but many described scenes of confusion, poor logistics, and a lack of basic supplies. Several media outlets, including TV2 Kosmopol, have covered the widespread criticism of the event’s organisation.

Runners reported missing water stations along the route and a near-total breakdown in baggage handling. Bags deposited at the start in the Nordhavn district failed to arrive at the finish in Ørestad, forcing participants to wait in cold temperatures—some for up to three and a half hours—without access to warm clothing or blankets.

“People were suffering from the cold”

Photographer Ruben Carl Berdichevsky, one of the frustrated runners, said the problems were visible from the start. “I could already see in the starting area that the baggage system was going to be chaos because no one was collecting or sorting the bags by number,” he told DR.

Opting to run with his bag, Berdichevsky avoided the worst delays—but his son had checked his belongings. “When we finished, there weren’t any bags at all. As they trickled in, a huge crowd formed, all trying to grab theirs,” he said. With only a tank top to wear, his son was among many left shivering in the post-race chaos.

“It was terrible. People were suffering because they were freezing so much,” Berdichevsky said. He tried to get a blanket from medical volunteers, but supplies had run out.

Organisers admit “catastrophic” failure

Strata Endurance Events, the company behind the race, acknowledged the criticism was “100% justified.” Race director Peter Hjort called the baggage handling a “disaster” and apologised to runners.

Hjort cited a miscalculation of how many participants would check bags—planning for just 1,000, despite 3,500 runners. “We asked experienced runners for estimates, and they said about a third usually check baggage. The rest leave it with spectators or bring nothing,” he explained.

The organiser pledged improvements for next year, including a pre-sorted baggage system with designated collection points. “We have a full year to prepare now. We hope runners will forgive us,” Hjort said.