Overview
- Mayor Carola Schouten told the municipal council that the event exceeded its 18,000-runner permit, creating an unacceptable strain on transport and city access.
- Ambulance capacity was stretched, with waits for the highest-priority calls reaching up to 45 minutes, and the organizer received a formal warning for breaching permit terms.
- The municipality deems immediate expansion irresponsible and has paused growth plans while also noting the organizer’s plans lacked sufficient detail on medical coverage and public transport management.
- Golazo director Wilbert Lek confirmed participant numbers ran a few percent over expectations but disputed that conditions were unsafe, citing an independent review of public transport and asserting medical operations met professional standards.
- Lek maintains only one case involved a 45-minute ambulance wait and says the patient received appropriate care, while the organizer still aims for about 25,000 entrants and identifies crowd control as a key focus.