Sensitive runners collapsing

Wasn't sure if this was the right place to post but thought wasn't right for Clubhouse.

Did my first ever race yesterday with kids and OH watching. Sadly a runner collapsed in front of them. Am hoping he is okay as haven't heard anything to contrary.

Kids were a bit freaked about this and are now worried about me running. I have told them that it is very unusual and that but what else can I tell them? My oldest in particular needs cold hard facts.

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Comments

  • Just say he got super tired because he was trying really really hard and ran out of energy, but he's fine now he's had something to eat and a rest.

    Usually this would be a case with a collapse - I have certainly done this in a race when I was pushing at my limit and didn't quite make it to the end. There's a fine line between best ever race and not finishing sometimes!

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭

    Without wishing to worry you, in two half marathons I did in less than a year, someone collapsed and died near or at the finish line.

    However, this IS unusual, and I guess the only thing you can do is keep telling them what DiS has said above!

  • dancing in spikes wrote (see)

    Just say he got super tired because he was trying really really hard and ran out of energy, but he's fine now he's had something to eat and a rest.

    Usually this would be a case with a collapse - I have certainly done this in a race when I was pushing at my limit and didn't quite make it to the end. There's a fine line between best ever race and not finishing sometimes!

    My concern is with that is what if that turns out not be true. Then kids will trust my reassurances even less.

    Wilkie wrote (see)

    Without wishing to worry you, in two half marathons I did in less than a year, someone collapsed and died near or at the finish line.

    However, this IS unusual, and I guess the only thing you can do is keep telling them what DiS has said above!

    I genuinely fear that this has happenned as what I understand is a classic case i.e. a middle aged man. They were also trying to find a defibrillator before the ambulance came.

    If anyone has any stats that could reassure my kids would be very grateful.

  • skottyskotty ✭✭✭
    Crimson wrote (see)

    If anyone has any stats that could reassure my kids would be very grateful.

     

    100% of runners will die sometime.

  • skotty wrote (see)
    Crimson wrote (see)

    If anyone has any stats that could reassure my kids would be very grateful.

     

    100% of runners will die sometime.

    As will 100% of non runners! Not quite the stats I was looking for!

  • more likely to die if you are a couch potato than a runner

  • skottyskotty ✭✭✭
    seren nos wrote (see)

    more likely to die if you are a couch potato than a runner

    really?

    i'd like to see the stats on that one.

  • Lol !



    How many runners did they see that didn't collapse ?

    People keel over every day - mostly in the comfort of their own home - it's just that your kids don't see this.



    It would be silly to give up running based on one poor fellow



    What was the race ? Someone will know the outcome.
  • This is an interesting thread. My wife's dad was quite a good runner (1:29 for a HM at about 45) but had a heart attack while out for a jog in his early 50s (he is okay now by way and in his 70s). They also were watching me at 25th GNR when someone collapsed in front of them and subsequently died. 

    As a result my wife and kids are very opposed to me doing a full marathon and don't really like me running HM for fast times (although I can get away with this because by time I have finished the fact I didn't run nice and easy is a bit too late to do anything about!). So up to now I have still not done a full M.

    I am working towards them feeling more comfortable about this by doing a lot of running and think if I get up to training runs of nearly 20 miles as part of HM training - most is 16 miles up to now - then they might feel more relaxed about it.

    But every year someone dies in GNR or LM then this reignites their opposition.

    The one big plus point is that I am so much more fun and have so much more energy when I am running that they can see that it is really good for me - better to be running and feel alive than be a couch potato and feel lethargic all your life whatever the risks surely? Of course their counter argument is that this can be achieved with 5 mile runs, there is no need for 26 and, in all fairness, they are probably right!

  • Crimson wrote (see)

    Wasn't sure if this was the right place to post but thought wasn't right for Clubhouse.

    Did my first ever race yesterday with kids and OH watching. Sadly a runner collapsed in front of them. Am hoping he is okay as haven't heard anything to contrary.

    Kids were a bit freaked about this and are now worried about me running. I have told them that it is very unusual and that but what else can I tell them? My oldest in particular needs cold hard facts.

    You're in trouble if they see a bad car crash sometime, which they will.

  • Ultra cougie wrote (see)
    Lol !

    How many runners did they see that didn't collapse ?
    People keel over every day - mostly in the comfort of their own home - it's just that your kids don't see this.

    It would be silly to give up running based on one poor fellow

    What was the race ? Someone will know the outcome.

    I have no intention of giving up just need to reassure kids. Youngest has been fine with general reassurance but oldest needs actual stats. Has realised that he saw 1 collapse out of a possible 600 but he equates that to a 1 in 600 chance of something happening which is too risky for him.

    Do you think it would be ok to name the race to see of anyone knows as it is only a small local one so not sure a) if anyone would know and b) whether it would be fair to man and his family anyway?

  • JF50 wrote (see)
    Crimson wrote (see)

    Wasn't sure if this was the right place to post but thought wasn't right for Clubhouse.

    Did my first ever race yesterday with kids and OH watching. Sadly a runner collapsed in front of them. Am hoping he is okay as haven't heard anything to contrary.

    Kids were a bit freaked about this and are now worried about me running. I have told them that it is very unusual and that but what else can I tell them? My oldest in particular needs cold hard facts.

    You're in trouble if they see a bad car crash sometime, which they will.

    They have seen that and been ok but usually any casualties are in the car and you are too so I think you feel distanced from it. Plus my oldest knows the stats on fatalties per road miles! He is so going to be an actuary isn't he!?

  • The bbc mentions it if it happens. It's sad but it's news.
  • skotty - thanks for link to that article - I would show my wife and kids but I do a lot of driving!image

  • skotty wrote (see)

    some info and statistics here:

    http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-285--12948-0,00.html

    Thanks that is exactly what I was looking for the comparative stats will especially help.

    Skinny Fetish Fan wrote (see)

    This is an interesting thread. My wife's dad was quite a good runner (1:29 for a HM at about 45) but had a heart attack while out for a jog in his early 50s (he is okay now by way and in his 70s). They also were watching me at 25th GNR when someone collapsed in front of them and subsequently died. 

    As a result my wife and kids are very opposed to me doing a full marathon and don't really like me running HM for fast times (although I can get away with this because by time I have finished the fact I didn't run nice and easy is a bit too late to do anything about!). So up to now I have still not done a full M.

    I am working towards them feeling more comfortable about this by doing a lot of running and think if I get up to training runs of nearly 20 miles as part of HM training - most is 16 miles up to now - then they might feel more relaxed about it.

    But every year someone dies in GNR or LM then this reignites their opposition.

    The one big plus point is that I am so much more fun and have so much more energy when I am running that they can see that it is really good for me - better to be running and feel alive than be a couch potato and feel lethargic all your life whatever the risks surely? Of course their counter argument is that this can be achieved with 5 mile runs, there is no need for 26 and, in all fairness, they are probably right!

    Glad to hear that your FIL recovered okay.

    Do you think they would be reassured by the link that skotty kindly posted?

    Or alternatively what if you had some kind of screening? I am fortunate to have recently had to have an ECG etc due to my blood pressure (now diagnosed as white coat hypertension) so can say that majority of deaths are heart related and mine has been checked over.

  • Ultra cougie wrote (see)
    The bbc mentions it if it happens. It's sad but it's news.

    As my journo friend says Man/Woman has heart attack on sofa watching TV = no headline Man/Woman has heart attack during race = headline.

  • How old is your eldest?
  • Princess Leah wrote (see)

    How old is your eldest?


    10

  • Anyone could have an un-known heart problem, which could be dormant. Take the Bolton Footballer who seems perfectly fit, but had a problem heart - which failed only once. Luckely, he survived, but retired from football.

    I say, just do what you do, or have a check-up. I've seen runners collapse, all due to exhaustion, especially on track training, of all ages. Saw a kid at the track go sick after a speed session, and a late-teen runner trip over himself after loosing his footing. 

  • Just after the LM this year there was an article in RW about heart conditions and running - haven't read it in full but it may be beneficial if you can find it on here?

    There are lots of people as other have said, who have indiagnosed heart conditions as well - actually I often wonder if some people who undertake sports actually live longer than they may have done being a couch potato - no proof just me wondering.

    In addition, accidents hapen - I was out running yesterday and ran past a RTA involving a motorbike; cyclist and car - I was fine and think they were all ok. but putting it in perspective helps. Not great confidence boost for me though - I use a motorbike for work as does my husband and son! LOL maybe I'll have to stick to running!

  • If you want a simple statistic to put things into perspective, according to the London marathon website, just under 900,000 people have run the race since 1981. That's 23.6 million miles run. And 11 people have died during the event. Which gives an average of about one fatality per 2 million miles run.
  • was the collapse at robin hood yesterday as my family said someone had collapsed in front of the line and 2 runners carried him over. what running is all about a little family who look out for each other. I always ask if people are ok and encouraging words to walkers as i know i like it on tough run

  • Crimson.....is your eldest always looking for logical answers to everything or is it just you that worries them.........

    more young  people will die in car crashes than anything else

  • Seren nos



    He is always looking for answers to anything but very keen on definites and putting numbers on things.
  • One thing I will say is that as a runner/fit person you are more likely to notice a heart defect before someone else as you will notice a drop off in your fitness more so than a couch potato.

    I recently noticed that when I pushed it or did hills I was not recovering as fast afterwards as I was used to - thinking maybe I had a lung issue I went to Docs and had chest x-ray etc and no lung issues but he sent me for heart tests. To cut a long story short I have to have a heart scan tomorrow as there are potential issues with heart palpatations.

    Moral here is as a runner if you notice a drop off in your fitness levels for no aparent reasons go see Doctor.

     

  • WiBWiB ✭✭✭
    killermiles wrote (see)

    Anyone could have an un-known heart problem, which could be dormant. Take the Bolton Footballer who seems perfectly fit, but had a problem heart - which failed only once. Luckely, he survived, but retired from football.

    I say, just do what you do, or have a check-up. I've seen runners collapse, all due to exhaustion, especially on track training, of all ages. Saw a kid at the track go sick after a speed session, and a late-teen runner trip over himself after loosing his footing. 

    On the flip side check out Eddie Merckx (ignore the doping allegations and positive test for now!) who rode his careeer with a heart defect and did not die during any of his TdF victories. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/did-merckx-ride-with-potentially-lethal-heart-problem


     

  • Having had a tachycardia episode on a HM just over a year ago and since, having had the whole gamut of tests to see if they could see what had caused it and any other underlying problems, I have read quite a large amount of medical research on the heart and sport and I would say that in the main sport does benefit your heart health. If you look at the 11 deaths over the years in the LM they are, apart from the guy who died from drinking too much water back in 2008 I think, divided into two types.  Younger athletes under 35 with congenital heart problems that have never shown before, and older runners who have suffered the classic heart attack caused by blocked coronary arteries.  Probably both groups will have suffered heart attacks at some point in the future but the marathon probably has brought them on sooner.

    Because of the profile of heart health after the Fabrice Muamba incident all the Team GB athletes had to undergo extensive testing.  A large number of heart "electrical" problems were detected and two athletes were told they would have to undergo a procedure called ablation before they would be allowed to compete.

  • Thanks for all the responses. We had a chat re all the stats and he seems happier now. He has now moved onto other things like Which is the busiest UK airport? Which is the busiest airport in the world? How many passengers per day, per year etc! Thanks goodnees for Google!

    Hope that your heart tests go okay Bearsted Plodder.

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