An unidentified 30-year-old man suffered possible cardiac arrest after collapsing just after finishing the Brooklyn Half Marathon, according to the New York Road Runners club.
After reportedly falling on the boardwalk, the runner was taken to Coney Island Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the NYPD.
The FDNY said 16 people were taken to the hospital, including the man who died and four others with serious injuries.
Runner dies at Brooklyn Half Marathon finish line – 30 years old good health dies of cardiac arrest https://t.co/lUEJgSQSJ9
— Orwell Huxley’s Ghost (@Tinkeringhalo2) May 21, 2022
From the New York Post:
The race, which took the 22,000 runners from the Brooklyn Museum through Prospect Park to the Coney Island boardwalk, was held under unseasonably warm conditions. The temperature at 9 a.m. at Coney Island was already 70 degrees with 83% humidity, according to Fox Weather.
One police officer said four other people collapsed near the end.
“Maybe an organizer or health official should have called it,” the cop said.
A participant also died at the race in 2014.
John Peterson, 26, said he has run the Brooklyn Half Marathon multiple times, but Saturday’s was the hottest and most grueling one he had experienced.
“You have to be aware of your own body’s limits. Sometimes you wanna go for it and push yourself,” he said. “And it’s awful sometimes you push yourself too far and this kind of thing happens.”
Anamaria Flores, 42, of Howard Beach said the race was exhausting and she had to walk the final leg.
“It was brutal,” she said. “As a back of the pack runner, that last five miles were really rough. There’s just no shade anywhere. It was definitely one of those days where you have to slow down. With the humidity and once the sun came out, forget about it. It’s a recipe for disaster.”
New York Road Runners said it had “medical staff placed from start to finish throughout the race course, who are ready to respond immediately to the medical needs of all runners, spectators, volunteers and staff.”
“The health and safety of our runners, volunteers, partners, and staff remain the top priority for NYRR. In coordination and consultation with the city agency partners and weather experts, NYRR was closely monitoring weather conditions leading up to and during the race,” the group said in a statement.
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