Paris Marathon Medical Certificate

KCH2

Hi there. I need a bit of advice on the medical certificate for the Paris Marathon.

I went to see the doctor 2 weeks ago assuming it would just be a case of him signing the piece of paper and possibly charging me something for it. What actually happened is that he said he wouldn't do that and that I should go and have an ECG and my blood pressure checked. I did this the following week and the nurse who saw me said on the day that everything looked normal.

So I went back today and the doctor has still not signed the form because he wants me to go for an echocardiogram as he thinks I have a small heart murmur. He has referred me and says that there is no way this is going to be done before the marathon.

Has anyone been in this situation before or can offer any advice on what I should do?

Background info: This is my first marathon but I have been running regularly for the last 5 years. My current half marathon PB is 1:29:11, set 3 weeks ago at Silverstone, and I was hoping to run Paris in under 3:30.

Many thanks!

Ant McNeill

Hi KCH2, I found myself exactly in the same situation: my GP wouldnt sign the form and insisted I had an ECG. He didn't like the look of the results and referred me to a cardiologist. Fortunately, my wife's job comes with family private medical cover that meant I got seen swiftly Another ECG followed (no problems - cardiologist suggested software in GPs surgery is set to pick up irregularities that are too minor), ultrasound, a bigger ECG and BP tests whilst on a treadmill and blood tests followed by follow-up consultation all in about 10 days. I eventually got the GP's signature but the burden of proof was on me to show 'no contra-indications to running'. I'm a 50 year-old male so must be in their at risk category by default. I'm not sure how old you are but my gut feeling is if you're a man over 40, doctors will play it ultra safe and make you demonstrate you're fit enough. Because of the excess payment, my signed and stamped form cost me ??115!



Sorry I can't be more helpful; all I can offer is sympathy!

KCH2

Hi Ant, Thanks for you response, it's good to know that I am not the only one this has happened to!

I am 31 so don't know if I am actually in their risk category by default. I have just had a chat to a doctor friend and they suggested asking my doctor to refer me privately. I'm not sure how much that is likely to cost but I'll ring them tomorrow and see what I can find out.

Thanks again!

cougie

You could just order a stamp and do it yourself but it depends on how real you think the risk is.

I don't think a gp is an expert at hearts. The time I had an ecg for work he thought it looked odd and sent it off to a specialist who cleared me on the basis that I'd been exercising consistently for years.



Good luck with it.

icklemichael

Could you ask your doctor friend to sign it? Or maybe find a new GP? I've done quite a few european marathons and it's always gone exactly as you assumed it would...

Ant McNeill

Yes, agree with Cougie: GP not cardio expert and will defer to specialist rather than take the very small risk of signing. For the record, my GP said he's had to sign loads for marathons and scuba diving and stuff and doesn't think they're worth the paper they're written on. A bureaucratic formality really.

KCH2

Thanks everyone!

My main worry is how real the risk is, which is why I would be hesitant to ask my doctor friend to sign the form for me. I now have a private appointment on Tuesday for an echocardiagram and hopefully I get the all clear and can still run Paris.

At the moment I am struggling to come to terms with the possibility that I can't run at all, let alone Paris...

15West

My doctor signed mine but crossed out "examination" and wrote "reviewed notes" above it. I emailed this to Paris marathon organisers to see if ok, and they confirmed it was. Maybe you could talk to GP and see if they will do the same. 

dizzygilly

That's great to know 15west, My GP did exactly the same and I was panicking whether this would be acceptable

Phil Bedford75

I'm having terrible trouble persuading my GP to sign the form. She's saying that she's not qualified! Then who is?? I think she thinks that she'll be sued if I have a heart attack half way round. Who on earth could possibly predict whether or not that could happen. It's ridiculous. Starting to panic now that I won't be allowed to run!

15West

Ask her is she'll sign if you change examination to reviewed notes...if she won't then just forge it, plenty of people do. 

cougie

Stupid regulation.

Dave The Iron Ex- Spartan

They're French.... Doesn't have to make sense

bramster

..eek wrong forum.. schoolboy error!

Vicky French 2

After a problem out on a log run 3 weeks ago, I went to see my GP who told me that I had a heart murmur, they immediately carry out an ECG and 2 GPs read the result and both said they were quite happy for me to run the Brighton marathon next weekend. 

I subsequently went and saw a private specialist who again carried out an ECG and said they were happy with the results and that everything was normal and that they would be quite happy for me to run.  He didn't even want to give me a Echo as he said it was a waste of time and my money. 

The specialist told me that he suspected that my heart murmur had been caused by high levels of work related stress as he couldn't hear the murmur when he examined me (just had 2 weeks off work and very little stress).

Not sure that this really helps but just thought I would share my experience.

Straycelt

I have a heart condition and get round it by my doctor receiving from me a disclaimer and he signs to say that I am fit enough to run, have a condition and understand the possibilities of issues. So in effect he's blame free if I keel over and he recognises I do the miles and can complete at a level. I run to HR nad stop on longer races for BP check. It's a pain but I'm still running

Straycelt

I have a heart condition and get round it by my doctor receiving from me a disclaimer and he signs to say that I am fit enough to run, have a condition and understand the possibilities of issues. So in effect he's blame free if I keel over and he recognises I do the miles and can complete at a level. I run to HR and stop on longer races for BP check. It's a pain but I'm still running

KCH2

Thanks for everyone's replies.

I have had some good news this week! I had my echocardiagram on Tuesday and it has come back normal but the doctor still won't signed me off for Paris. They want to refer it to a cardiologist before doing that but it's a weight off my mind.

Time is running out but I will get the form signed somehow and forging it seems like the simplest option left, unless they sign it today.

Phil Bedford75

Wow, KCH2. It's crazy isn't it? I've heard that many GPs will just check you over and sign the form, sometimes for a small fee. These seem to be the sensible ones. Others seem to be so terrified that they're going to be sued if anything goes wrong.

In my opinion, no one on earth can possibly predict what could happen to you during a marathon no matter what physical condition you're in. It would be an awful lot easier if these forms carried a disclaimer stating that the Doctor is not to blame should you become ill during the race. It's not as if you're likely to complain to your GP because he said you'll be "fine".

I'm finding this part of the whole process even more stressful than the race itself!

Best of luck.

 

KCH2

It is crazy.

You go through all this to get them to sign a form for a marathon because it's in France, but if I was to run in the UK then I wouldn't have to do anything. So I guess they are just scared of what might happen...

...but they have signed it now 

I can't believe the race is going to be this stressful!

Thanks a lot.

cougie

The French ? Scared ?? Surely not !

bramster

That's a remarkable story! My GP just charged ??20 for the honour of their signature.



Expo done! Race number sorted! Worth it? Tell you in a few days