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Marathon Weekend Ends in Triumph and Tragedy
by
findingDulcinea Staff
Over two days, the Big apple played host to the Olympic Trials and the New York City Marathon; the death of noted marathoner Ryan Shay, who collapsed in his bid to compete at Beijing, highlights the demands placed on each competitors’ endurance.
30-Second Summary
Kenya’s Martin Lel came in first in the New York City Marathon with a time of 2:09:04 and Paula Radcliffe of Britain won the women’s title in 2:23:09.
Ryan Hall took first in the Olympic Trials finishing in 2:09:02, with Dathan Ritzenhein coming in second at 2:11:07 and Brian Sell in third with 2:11:47.
All three have earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic men’s team, which will compete in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
During the Olympic Trials, veteran marathoner, Ryan Shay, 28 of Michigan, collapsed at approximately five and a half miles and was later pronounced dead. Although his first autopsy results were inconclusive, Shay’s father believes his son may have died from an enlarged heart.
Approximately 125 athletes under the age of 35 involved in organized sports in the United States die suddenly each year.
In October, two events took place in very humid weather, the Chicago Marathon and the Army Ten-Miler, each of which saw a single death from exacerbated cardiac conditions.
With each marathon-related death come questions concerning the safety of running so many miles, not just for the elite runners, but also for ordinary running enthusiasts. Yet, most doctors believe the health benefits of running outweigh the risks.
Ryan Hall took first in the Olympic Trials finishing in 2:09:02, with Dathan Ritzenhein coming in second at 2:11:07 and Brian Sell in third with 2:11:47.
All three have earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic men’s team, which will compete in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
During the Olympic Trials, veteran marathoner, Ryan Shay, 28 of Michigan, collapsed at approximately five and a half miles and was later pronounced dead. Although his first autopsy results were inconclusive, Shay’s father believes his son may have died from an enlarged heart.
Approximately 125 athletes under the age of 35 involved in organized sports in the United States die suddenly each year.
In October, two events took place in very humid weather, the Chicago Marathon and the Army Ten-Miler, each of which saw a single death from exacerbated cardiac conditions.
With each marathon-related death come questions concerning the safety of running so many miles, not just for the elite runners, but also for ordinary running enthusiasts. Yet, most doctors believe the health benefits of running outweigh the risks.
Headline Links: Kenya and Britain take first place and the Olympic Trials
Martin Lel of Kenya took the men’s title in 2:09:04 and Paula Radcliffe of Britain won the women’s title in 2:23:09. Paula Radcliffe, who gave birth to a baby girl in January, held off Gete Wami of Ethiopia, who ran with Radcliffe for the majority of the race.
Source: Sports Illustrated
Ryan Hall took first in the Olympic Trials finishing in 2:09:02 with Dathan Ritzenhein coming in second at 2:11:07 and Brian Sell in third with 2:11:47. All three have earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic Men’s Team, which will compete in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Source: Runner’s World
During the Olympic Marathon Trials, a veteran marathon runner collapsed near the five and a half mile mark. Ryan Shay, 28, a champion runner, was pronounced dead 45 minutes later. Although his autopsy report was inconclusive, his father believes Shay died from an enlarged heart. According to Dr. Barry J. Maron of the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, about 125 athletes under the age of 35 in the United States suddenly die while taking part in an organized sports event.
Source: Associated Press
The last person to cross the NYC marathon finish line finished in 28 hours and 45 minutes. Zoe Koplowitz, who has lived with multiple sclerosis—a degenerative disease of the central nervous system—for 30years, started at 6:30 AM and walked the 26.2 miles on crutches.
Source: Newsday
Background: International marathons and the benefits of running a marathon
The New York City, London, Berlin and Chicago marathons are some of the cities included in the top 10 marathons in the world according to Runner’s World. The highs, lows, size and what to watch out for during the marathon are covered.
Source: Runner’s World
History: NYC Marathon
The first New York City Marathon was run in 1970, following a course that looped Central Park several times. One hundred and twenty-seven runners began the race and fifty-five finished. Fred Lebow, co-founder of the NYC Marathon, redrew the course through the five boroughs of New York City: Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan.
Source: The ING New York City Marathon
Related Links: The Chicago Marathon and the Army Ten-Miler deaths
During the Chicago Marathon, 300 runners required medical attention and one died from complications due to heat exhaustion. The temperature that day reached 87 degrees. Chaos ensued as race officials tried to reroute runners after many competitors had succumb to the heat and some aid stations ran out of water.
Source: Time
Chad Schieber, called a “fit individual” by family and friends, collapsed at mile 19 during the Chicago Marathon and was later pronounced dead. Cook County medical officials ruled his death was due to a heart condition, mitral valve prolapse (MVP), and was not heat-related. Schieber was aware that he had the condition and had received medical clearance to before taking part. However, two cardiologists, from Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the University of Chicago Medical Center, believe that the heat must have contributed to his death. Mitral valve prolapse is a common condition and these doctors surmise that his death was likely due to a combination of heat-related exhaustion or dehydration and MVP.
Source: Chicago Tribune
Only about half of the elite runners who started the Chicago marathon finished. This was also true for the rest of the runners: of the 45,000 who started, only 25,000 finished.
Source: Running Times
On Oct.7, Michael Banner, age 25, died 200 yards from the finish line during the army 10-mile race in Washington, D.C. The cause of death is unknown.
Source: Newsday
Runners from the Army Ten-Miler stated that aid stations in the second half of the course had run out of water. At the 8 AM start the temperature was 70 degrees with 94 percent humidity and no breeze.
Source: The Washington Post
Reference: Mitral valve prolapse, enlarged heart and heat exhaustion/stroke
According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the mitral valve allows blood to flow through the two chambers on the left side of the heart: the blood flows from the left atrium to the left ventricle, but not back the other way. Mitral valve prolapse occurs when flaps of the mitral valve bulge back (prolapse) into the left atrium, which can prevent the valve from forming a tight seal, allowing blood to flow backward from the ventricle into the atrium. This can cause complications and symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath or a racing or irregular heartbeat.
Source: National Heart Lung and Blood Institute
Mitral valve prolapse is not uncommon; 2 to 3 percent of the population have the condition. It is unusual for MVP to interfere with strenuous exercise like the marathon if the individual has trained properly and is in good shape, as Schieber was.
Source: U.S. News & World Report
According to the American Heart Association, an enlarged heart “may be caused by a thickening of the heart muscle because of increased workload.”
Source: American Heart Association
The American Academy of Family Physicians explains that heat exhaustion and heatstroke both happen when the body gets too hot and cannot cool itself down because high temperatures slow the way the body naturally lets heat escape: through sweat evaporating from the body. Symptoms of heat exhaustion can include feeling dizzy and weak accompanied by a headache or fast heartbeat. Heatstroke is much more serious and can kill. People with heatstroke may seem confused, have seizures or even fall into a coma.
Source: American Academy of Family Physicians
Mayo Clinic offers advice on what to do for someone suspected of suffering from heat exhaustion: taking the person out of the sun into an air-conditioned location; having him or her drink cool, not ice-cold, water or sports drink; laying the person down and elevating their legs slightly.
Source: Mayo Clinic
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute explains that the heart is a muscle the size of a fist and beats over 100,000 times a day. NHLBI also describes the different parts of the heart and their functions: heart chambers, heart valves, arteries and veins.
Source: National Heart Lung and Blood Institute
Hyponatremia is the most common type of electrolyte disorder in the United States and occurs when sodium levels in the body become abnormally low. In marathons, this usually happens when runners take in too much water. Symptoms include bloating and puffiness in the face and fingers, nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, headache and disorientation.
Source: Medicine Net
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