Runner remains in critical condition

Brisbane's Twilight Running Festival was blighted by a fierce storm. Picture: Debbie Lawrence Source: Supplied

A RUNNER hit by a tree branch during yesterday's fierce storm remains in a critical condition tonight.

The incident happened when a fun run at St Lucia, in Brisbane's inner-west, was interrupted by the wild storm that lashed southeast Queensland.

The man, 58, suffered serious head injuries and was taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

A spokeswoman said he was still critical tonight.

Earlier, a volunteer at the run has told of watching a large tree branch fall into a group of runners, knocking a 58-year-old man unconscious.

Hannah Vermeulen was at a volunteer station on Sir William McGregor Drive, St Lucia, when she saw the tree branch crack during the Twilight Running Festival.

"It got really, really windy all of a sudden so we pulled everyone back and a massive branch came down," she said.

The storm approaches at University of Queensland during the fun run. Pic: Glenn Alexander

"It went in the middle of four or five runners though, it was really unlucky."

She said the man was unconscious the whole time volunteers were waiting for an ambulance.

"We had a few umbrellas and things like that, we were holding umbrellas up over him. It was terrifying," Ms Vermeulen said.

"We were really lucky because a guy stopped who had first aid experience then we called out to see if someone was a doctor and we got one in two minutes."

She said the rain and wind was "insane" but volunteers were unsure how the race was going.

"Some people wanted to keep going but they called off the race about 10 minutes after that happened," Ms Vermeulen said.

The storm approaches at University of Queensland during the fun run. Pic: Glenn Alexander

"It was hard because there wasn't much communication, we didn't have radios or anything and we were so far away from the main finish line or anything so we didn't know what was going on."

Bureau of Meteorology weather services manager Richard Wardle said storms for Sunday afternoon had been forecast since Friday and severe weather warnings were put out yesterday afternoon.

"The first mention of Brisbane CBD was at 5.20pm when we issued a state based warning that included Brisbane," he said.

"A severe thunderstorm warning for damaging winds, heavy rainfall and large hailstones that was likely to produce damaging winds, heavy rainfall that (might have) lead to flash flooding and large hailstones over the next several hours."

A further metro warning for Brisbane and south-western suburbs was issued at 5.27pm.

"We're saying that the storm hit the CBD at 6pm but of course in southern suburbs you get it sooner," Mr Wardle said.

The storm approaches at University of Queensland during the fun run. Pic: Glenn Alexander

Competitors have continued to debate the Twilight Running Festival despite no word from the organisers themselves.

Aside from a Facebook comment issued from Intraining, attempts to contact the organisation have gone unanswered.

"Well done everyone. Torrential rain and still a myriad of smiles. We hope you still enjoyed the event. Please note, we will be working on results and will announce what will happen with official results. Enjoy the night everyone and well done!," message was posted on Twilight Running Festival last night.

More than 140 people have commented on the post, thanking volunteers and discussing the event.

"This was my first run, which I really enjoyed, shame it was cut short, but the right decision was made, I'm sure everybody will learn from this and the event will return bigger and better from the experience next year, I will try and return for sure, wishing everybody a speedy recovery, including the guy at the start," competitor Dave Ash said.

The storm approaches at University of Queensland during the fun run. Pic: Glenn Alexander

Earlier, The Courier-Mail reported that questions are being raised over the organisation of the Twilight Running Festival after a man was seriously injured by a branch brought down by the storm that ripped through Brisbane last night.

The festival included a 1km run, a 5km run, 10km run and half marathon around the University of Queensland, all starting from 4pm yesterday.

But the races turned to tragedy after a competitor - a man aged 58 - was hit by a tree branch and suffered severe head injuries.

Fellow racers stopped to help, including a doctor, before the man was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital.

The man remains in a critical condition Monday morning.

Were you there? Should the event have been cancelled earlier? Tell us below

Competitors involved in the race have taken to the event's Facebook page to vent their frustration, with 130 comments posted by 10.30am Monday.

Reader pic of the fun run.

"I'm sorry but it was ridiculously dangerous, the organisation was very poor and I won't be back!," posted competitor Sallie Lawrence.

"Why did it take so long for the roads to be opened! People were put in serious danger and the event should have been cancelled long before it was.

"My issue is not with the traffic but the fact that there were trees falling on the roads and NO marshalls and really didn't see anyone in charge making the correct decisions!"

Other competitors paid tribute to the man hurt during the race.

"Our prayers and thoughts are with the unfortunate runner and his family and all the other runners who were injured. The race pales into insignificance," Chris Taylor said on Facebook.

Many competitors said they embraced the challenge created by the severe thunderstorm and were thankful to the volunteers who helped keep the race running.

A reader who took part in the fun run took this photo of a fallen branch.

"Volunteers were amazing. Gutted it had to be cut short due to weather but wise decision!" competitor Leonie Cameron posted.

Brisbane City Council shared a severe weather warning on social media about 5.50pm Sunday.

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Hail, flash-flooding and lightning were just some of the sudden obstacles that competitors in the annual Twilight run faced.

With the 1km and 5km run finished before the storm hit, it was the 10km and half-marathon competitors who had to battle against the elements.

Darrell Giles was one of the runners who took on the half marathon and said the run, which resulted in a 58-year-old suffering severe head injuries after being hit by a falling tree - was "terrifying".

"Ferocious winds hit first then the rain came in. I got to the turning point - around the 12km mark - and all trees started coming down either because of the lightning hitting it or wind cracking the timber."

Mr Giles was one of the few who managed to cross the Green Bridge on the return trip, with the bridge closed soon after due to the gales.

"I just got pelted with hail," he said.

Telling how he was forced to duck behind a building for several minutes to avoid a falling tree, Mr Giles said the storm was a surprise, with many believing it would pass over the area.

"Having been there, I saw how sudden and unexpected it was. They did the 1km and 5km in perfect sunshine and even at 5 o'clock, while it was cloudy, didn't look bad."

He said parts of the Brisbane Corso lost power, forcing competitors to run in the dark.

"You had to wait for lightning bolts and strikes to see where you were going. It was the most terrifying experience."

It is believed several more people were hurt after falling over in the storm.

Mr Giles said he believed the organisers did the best they could in the sudden circumstances.

But complaints have continued to flow into the Twilight Run festival's Facebook page with Andrew Forrest critical of the organisers.

"The organisers did have access to BOM and should at the very least had said before the half marathon started at 5, Look guys there is a severe weather warning which could hit the event'. That way we could have made informed decisions on whether to continue with a second lap or come in.

"I'm not hanging crap on the volunteers or organisers as they did a marvellous job, However the decision to say nothing at all looks poor in retrospect, especially with the totally shite weather that has been hitting Brisbane in the previous months. If this was a BCC event they would be bricking themselves today and waiting for the lawsuits from those injured," he said.

Glenn Alexander, of Gympie said: "I was in the stand while my wife and friends competed in the half marathon. Looking at the radar and the warning before they shouldn't have started or even let them turn at the halfway mark having already ran back to the start (two lap 10km course).

"It was lucky there weren't more injured particularly in such a windy storm. Sitting under the cover of the grandstand at UQ we all got wet too - the wind was that strong!!"

The Twilight Run festival, with the slogan, "run under the moon and stars on a cool Autumn evening", had about 4000 competitors involved.

The University of Queensland has voiced its sympathies to the family of a man who was injured during a fun run on its St Lucia campus.

A university spokesperson said the Twilight run was an independent event and not organised by the university.

"UQ had made part of its St Lucia campus available for this independently organised event, and UQ staff provided some assistance to the event organisers and runners during and after the storm.

UQ extends its sympathies to the person who was injured and their family."

Berisik Gaduh