When Bees Attack

[Mulboyne]

[floatl][/floatl]Herald: 30 Japanese Marathon Runners Injured By Bee Stings
A SWARM of bees attacked half-marathon runners in south-western Japan today, forcing 30 people to be rushed to hospital, rescuers said. During the race in Saga city, athletes were set upon by the bees as they ran near a river bank, according to one of the local fire departments which dispatched five ambulances because of the incident. "I have never experienced anything like this before,'' chief rescuer Tomomi Koyanagi said. "Many people complained of sickness although no one collapsed.'' "Some people reported they saw a swarm of bees which looked like a black cloud,'' he said. One of the runners told public broadcaster NHK: "I heard hollow booming behind my head and soon felt pain. When I saw what it was, it was a honeybee.'' Another runner said bees got inside his shirt, leading to several bites on his neck and back. Some 3,200 runners took part in the race, organisers said.

[ttjereth]

Herald: 30 Japanese Marathon Runners Injured By Bee Stings
A SWARM of bees attacked half-marathon runners in south-western Japan today, forcing 30 people to be rushed to hospital, rescuers said. During the race in Saga city, athletes were set upon by the bees as they ran near a river bank, according to one of the local fire departments which dispatched five ambulances because of the incident. "I have never experienced anything like this before,'' chief rescuer Tomomi Koyanagi said. "Many people complained of sickness although no one collapsed.'' "Some people reported they saw a swarm of bees which looked like a black cloud,'' he said. One of the runners told public broadcaster NHK: "I heard hollow booming behind my head and soon felt pain. When I saw what it was, it was a honeybee.'' Another runner said bees got inside his shirt, leading to several bites on his neck and back. Some 3,200 runners took part in the race, organisers said.

I know it's mean, but that made me laugh.

[Greji]

I know it's mean, but that made me laugh.

I cracked up watching it on TV this morning. I mean did the planners even look at the course. They had some three million bees professionally hived on one side of about a five meter wide road as part of the marathon course and fields of blooming flowers running along the other side, which were hemmed in by a river.

According to the announcer, when one bee scores a sting, the scent from its stinger incites the others. Wow, with a whole field of runners between them and the flowers to choose from, it had to be tabe hodai!