On Sunday, three apparently healthy and well-trained male runners (ages 26 to 65) collapsed and died while competing in the Detroit Marathon. At this point the precise causes of death have not been released for any of them. Fortunately, a cluster of sudden deaths - even a single sudden death - during a long distance race is an extremely rare event.
There are several cardiac conditions that can produce sudden death in athletes. And unfortunately, because of the physiologic effects of prolonged exercise (for instance, core body temperatures typically reach 105 degrees Fahrenheit during a marathon), it is often difficult to resuscitate victims under these circumstances, even if trained medical personnel are nearby.
Read here about sudden death in athletes , and here about screening for the cardiac conditions that can lead to this tragic event.
2 of them died around the same mile marker. Maybe I’ve seen too many CSI’s but it made me think about the water stations?
I believe 2 runners died in a race in either September or October in San Jose, California—although i haven’t heard of the mention of this in connection with this article