The Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon has aunique course crossing the U.S./Canadian border twice. This big day for the Detroit area had a very sad turn of events when three runners in the marathon died during the race. Three men of varying ages died during the early part of the marathon. Weather conditions were overcast and in the 40's, so heat was not a factor.
The Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank Marathon is a 26.2 mile race run every October in Detroit, Michigan. The marathon course is international, crossing the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. Due to its use of the tunnel, the race is able to boast that it has the only official underwater mile in the world, as the tunnel is mostly submerged.
According to a report on CNN, all three deaths at today's Detroit Marathon occurred between 9 and 9:20 a.m. EDT. A man in his 60s fell and hit his head. The cause of the fall was unknown. The man was transported to Detroit Receiving Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Two other men, aged 36 and 26, also collapsed during the race and were pronounced dead at the hospital.
While the cause of death of these three runners is not known at this time, it is widely known that a marathon is a very taxing event. The 26.2 miles run in a marathon puts tremendous strain on the body. It's rare for athletes to die in training or competition, but a handful of recent fatalities have drawn attention to a devastating reality: A small percentage of Americans have hidden heart defects that can kill them if they put too much stress on the muscle.
Earlier in the month, two athletes in their mid-30s - both of whom seemed healthy, according to family and friends - died while running a half marathon in San Jose. Now the three Detroit Marathon deaths leave many to wonder what can be done to prevent these deaths if they were all due to stress on the heart muscle.
As many as 1 in 500 people in the United States is born with heart defects that may go undetected for years. These people typically appear to be very healthy and would not know otherwise that this condition could be deadly to them.
People with heart defects may suffer from chest pain, dizziness or shortness of breath when they exercise. If someone training for or in a marathon experiences any of these symptoms, they should be checked immediately.
The cause of death of the three runners in the Detroit Marathon 2009 may not be available for days.
Cheryl Phillips
Exclusive to HULIQ.com
source: American Heart Association, Wikipedia, Detroit Marathon, CNN
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