Power Outage Strands Runners before Broad Street Run

Philadelphia, PA – A mechanical failure caused chaos for hundreds of runners heading to the Independence Blue Cross Broad Street Run on Sunday morning. The northbound Broad Street subway train lost power near the Hunting Park Station, leaving passengers sweltering without air conditioning.

According to SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch, the issue was described as a “garden-variety mechanical failure.” Lori Tortorice, 70, from South Philadelphia, was among the stranded travelers and remained optimistic. “We felt like we couldn’t make this up. The only good thing is, I’m in the last corral. This is my 10th,” she said.

Passengers were eventually rescued when another train pushed their stalled cars to the Wyoming Avenue Station. They then had to walk about 1.2 miles to the starting line near Broad and Somerville Avenue. Siobhan McKenna, 28, also from South Philadelphia, reflected on the situation, stating, “It was definitely anxiety-provoking, but happy to be off the train.” She added that the unexpected walk was a decent warm-up.

Busch estimated that between 600 to 800 passengers were affected by the disruption, which also created long lines at portable toilets as runners rushed to manage their pre-race routines. He clarified that the prevailing weather was not a contributing factor to the mechanical issue.

As storms threatened the region later in the day, concerns remained about potential further problems for commuters and runners alike.