Cardio link eyed in race deaths at Rock ’n’ Roll half marathon (Two die in Raleigh)

News Observer ^ | 4/13/14 | Martha Quillin

[Libloather]

RALEIGH, N.C. — Two runners who died Sunday morning as participants in the Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon may fit the profile of the most common fatalities in such events, according to a Duke sports medicine specialist: men in their 30s with pre-existing, undiagnosed cardio abnormalities.

Saying the runners’ families wanted privacy, race organizers did not release the names of the men who died or give any indication of their causes of death.

“We regret to confirm that two participants passed away at today’s half-marathon,” said Dr. P.Z. Pearce, the event’s medical director. “We are greatly saddened by these tragic losses, and our prayers go out to the each of the runners’ family and friends.”

[Tainan]

...sucks....

[Red in Blue PA]

This is not an uncommon event at marathons.....yet where is the media on it.

Imagine for a second if a few people died from being shot at every marathon.

[surroundedbyblue]

Yikes. As a runner & half-marathoner myself, this scares me. I should get a cardio work up but I’m pretty sure my health insurance wouldn’t feel that’s indicated. Gotta love how the government regulation of the health insurance industry has basically cut us all off from accessing care. Wasn’t the focus of health reform supposed to be preventative medicine? What a joke.

[LukeL]

Only about 1% of all cardiac deaths occur in people under the age of 35.

[flaglady47]

“Only about 1% of all cardiac deaths occur in people under the age of 35.”

Unless you are a Marathon runner. I’d like to know what percentage of cardio events occur amongst Marathon runners only. Bet the percentage goes up.

[LukeL]

I would bet so too. The human body is not designed to run 26.2 miles in under 4 hours.

[csvset]

Fwiw, locally, a 16 yr old girl after finishing a half marathon.

Family: Teen runner who died should be inspiration

[Red in Blue PA]

I am not saying they make up the majority of cardiac deaths, merely that I read these stories often.

[arderkrag]

100% of people who run die at some point in their lives.

END THE MADNESS. STOP RUNNING. DO IT FOR THE CHILDREN.

[rwilson99]

As a runner... It’s an excepted risk.

It’s like running into poor analogies on the Internet.

[Sooth2222]

If the two who died were running the half-marathon, and there were zero deaths in the full marathon -- the full marathon was much safer than the half-marathon!

"While the deaths are statistically uncommon, races in the Rock ’n’ Roll series have been marred by such tragedies at least 12 times since 2005, including the two in Raleigh on Sunday. Race officials identified the runners who died as men ages 31 and 35."

"While runners’ deaths at races receive widespread attention, they are relatively rare. A study released in 2012 by the New England Journal of Medicine found that of almost 11 million registered participants in marathons and half-marathons between 2000 and mid-2011, there were 59 cardiac arrests, 42 of them fatal."

If the race has been averaging more than 1 death every year, it sounds like something unusual is happening in Raleigh. (Using the figure of 12,500 signed up to run in Sunday’s races as average for the last 9 years. my calculator comes up with the 18.6 times the chances of dying in a race at Raleigh than everywhere else.)

Perhaps because of the runners Raleigh attracts, or because of something about the course -- or courses, the half marathon and full marathon must have used different courses. This certainly sounds like something that begs to be investigated.

[OldPossum]

I cannot conceive of anything so unappealing as to put on a pair of shorts and go out to run in a crowd of hot, sweaty people.

[hawkaw]

I actually enjoy running and have done my fair share of 1/2 marathons. As I have to train for these events, it has helped me control my weight and kept me in shape.

[Carriage Hill]

The first marathon runner, Philippides, dropped dead, too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pheidippides

[duckman]

At 70 years old, my idea of a RnR marathon is no stop playing my 45’s from the 1950’s!

[Larry Lucido]

I ran the Frankenmuth half-marathon and felt half-dead. That’s why I never ran a whole marathon.

[Zuse]

“I should get a cardio work up but I’m pretty sure my health insurance wouldn’t feel that’s indicated.”

You can get a lot of health information through self-ordered testing. Get a CIMT (carotid intima media test) to determine if you have vascular risk, especially unstable plaque. Get a comprehensive blood test (such as through Life Extension) and be sure to include VAP or NMR lipids, inflammatory markers such as HsCRP and Lp-PLA2(PLAC2), fasting sugar plus HbA1c.

Don’t wait for insurance. Take some responsibility for your own health.

[okkev68]

There is a group of people who’s bodies do not respond well to that kind of distance running. I was in that group. I ran marathons and half marathons for years. Little did I know that my heart walls were thickening from the daily strain being put it on my body. Finally, in 07 I went into Vtach and almost died. Had I been out on the road or at a marathon at the time, I most likely would not have survived.

After stopping all running, my heart went back to normal shape, but the damage was done. I just had my third cardiac ablation last month that they think finally cleared up all the Vtach, but now my defibrillator is infected. Yeah. I go in Wednesday for a full extraction, 4 days of antibiotics and then a brand new device.

I told my wife that after this is all over I will be ready to start running again. Her response was she will have the lawyer contact me with divorce papers and she will pack up my things for me.

[11th Commandment]

Here is a reference:

link