October 13, 2003

Metamarathon in danger?

NBC5.com - News - Ohio Woman Dies After Finishing Chicago Marathon

Luke Roach, 22, of Seattle, died after collapsing near the finish line during the 2001 Chicago Marathon. A medical examiner's office study completed three months after Roach's collapse confirmed that his temperature soared to 107 degrees while he was running and he died of heat stroke.

In the 2000 race, Danny Towns, 45, of Edmond, Okla., collapsed and later died of coronary arteriosclerosis, a hardening of the heart arteries. In 1998, Kelly Barrett, 43, of Littleton, Colo., died three days after a cardiac arrest in the marathon medical tent. Her death was attributed to low sodium levels, apparently from drinking too much water while running.

The Chicago Marathon began in 1977 and currently allows a maximum of 40,000 participants, according to the official Web site. More than 1 million spectators were expected to attend the 2003 event.

Meta be careful next time! Next time a single IV may not do it.

Posted by pqbon at October 13, 2003 4:07 PM | TrackBack