A marathon in the northern Netherlands has been called off four days before the start, after the local council found that the race’s medical safety plan had been written by a man convicted earlier this year of impersonating an ambulance worker.
The Sneek Marathon was scheduled for Saturday, June 20, in Friesland. Around 3,000 runners had registered across a half marathon, a four-mile race, and a full marathon distance reserved for walkers, according to Omrop Fryslân. The municipality of Súdwest-Fryslân pulled the event permit on Monday night after police in Groningen flagged the company behind the medical plan, MSG Ambulancenzorg.
“With pain in our hearts, we have to let you know that Marathon Sneek is being moved to the fall,” organisers said in a statement. “Despite all efforts, basic medical care on June 20 cannot be sufficiently guaranteed. The safety of participants, volunteers, spectators, and everyone involved always comes first.“
The company belongs to a 22-year-old nursing student from Groningen. A court sentenced him in March to 15 months in prison after finding him guilty of posing as an emergency worker, driving unauthorised emergency vehicles, forging documents, and stealing equipment that included uniforms, walkie-talkies, and a Red Cross defibrillator, DutchNews.nl reported. He drove a yellow Mercedes Sprinter with the word “Ambulance” on the front, fitted with blue lights and sirens.
He was also convicted of breach of the peace for forcing his way into Frisius MC hospital in Sneek to get hold of medical equipment. On other occasions he treated a woman who fell ill in Groningen and sent a fake medical document to her doctor, and posed as a police officer at a traffic accident.
The court banned him from medical work for three years and ordered psychological treatment. A psychologist told the court he likely has an autism spectrum disorder. He is appealing the conviction, which is why he had not started his sentence and was still able to offer first-aid services through his company.
Sneek Marathon organisers say they had no idea who was behind the firm. Marianne Bouwman, one of the organisers, told DutchNews.nl, “Obviously we are hugely shocked by this. There were no signs anything was wrong based on the information we had.”
The council itself described the document as competent. “We received a good healthcare plan and the council and the organisers were both unpleasantly surprised to find out who had drawn up the healthcare plan,” it said in a statement carried by Groot Sneek.
Once the permit was revoked, organisers looked for replacement medical coverage. Finding first responders was not the issue. Securing enough ambulances in time was.
The man had already been on emergency services’ radar in Sneek. During Sneekweek in August 2025, the town’s big summer festival, he and another man tried to help a woman who had fallen ill and attempted to take her to hospital in his fake ambulance. Trained responders noticed something was off, sent him away, and called police. Shortly after, he forced his way into the local hospital. Police later stopped him driving a vehicle fitted with flashing lights, sirens, and medical kit stolen from real ambulance services.
Forecast heat also factored into the decision to postpone, organisers said. Two runners died after the Utrecht and Leiden half marathons last month, NL Times reported, and several other Dutch races have logged heat-related incidents this year.
The race has been pushed to the autumn, with a new date expected this week. Runners signed up for June 20 will be moved to the new event automatically.
“We are not giving up on Marathon Sneek,” organisers said. “It has to go ahead, just not on June 20. We will announce the new date this week.”
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