List of marathon fatalities

Last updated

Below is a sortable list of individuals who died as a result of running a marathon.

Contents

Causes of death during the marathon

The most frequent causes are:

  1. sudden cardiac death, triggered by a congenital or acquired heart disorder;
  2. exercise-associated hyponatremia or other electrolyte imbalance;
  3. exertional heat stroke or severe hyperthermia.

The age distribution ranges widely, from the teens through the sixties.

In 2016, a systematic medical review found that the risk of sudden cardiac death during or immediately after a marathon was between 0.6 and 1.9 deaths per 100,000 participants, varying across the specific studies and the methods used, and not controlling for age or gender. This translates to a few published marathon deaths worldwide in a typical year, although the authors lamented the lack of a central registry for the information. [1]

The second major risk arises from imbalanced fluid or electrolyte levels, particularly hyponatremia (sodium deficiency, overhydration, or water intoxication). As a marathon medical director described the counter-intuitive and under-publicized risk in 2005: "There are no reported cases of dehydration causing death in the history of world running, but there are plenty of cases of people dying of hyponatremia." [2]

Heat stroke is an emergency condition in which thermoregulation fails and the body temperature rises above 104 °F (40 °C). It becomes a greater risk in warm and humid weather. [3]

List

OriginName [ref.]AgeMarathon dateEventLocationCause / Notes
Flag of Portugal.svg  POR Francisco Lázaro [4] 2415 July 1912 Olympic Marathon Stockholm, Sweden Electrolyte imbalance
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   SUI Jakob Jutz [5] 35-3626 August 1951 Swiss Athletics Federation Marathon Championships Cham, Switzerland Heart failure
Flag of France.svg  FRA Jacques Bussereau [6] 4828 October 1984 New York City Marathon New York City, US Heart attack
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  GBR Duncan Kerr [7] 2822 September 1985 Glasgow Marathon Glasgow, UK Pneumonia
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Martin A. Wurst, Jr. [8] 322 November 1986 Marine Corps Marathon Washington, D.C., US Coronary artery disease
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Edwin Brown [9] 4714 December 1986 Dallas Marathon Dallas, USHeart attack
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Thomas Becker [10] 408 October 1989 Twin Cities Marathon Minneapolis, USHeart attack
Flag of the United States.svg  USA William McKinney [11] 594 March 1990 Los Angeles Marathon Los Angeles, USHeart attack
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Lisa B. Christensen [12] 194 November 1990 Marine Corps Marathon Washington, D.C., USCoronary artery abnormality
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Julius Becza [13] 5824 October 1993 Marine Corps Marathon Washington, D.C., USHeart attack
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Samuel Grafton [14] 4216 October 1994 Detroit Marathon Detroit, USHeart attack
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   SWI Pierre Marguet [15] 276 November 1994 New York City Marathon New York City, USHeart attack; also for an unnamed second fatality
Flag of Sweden.svg  SWE Humphrey Siesage [16] 6115 April 1996 Boston Marathon Boston, USHeart attack
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  GBR Anna Loyley [17] [18] 268 March 1998 Bath Half Marathon London, UK Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Kelly Barrett [19] 4311 October 1998 Chicago Marathon Chicago, US Hyponatremia
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  GBR Don Scott [20] 4826 September 1999 Robin Hood Marathon Nottingham, UKHeart attack
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Danny Towns [19] 4522 October 2000 Chicago Marathon Chicago, USHeart attack
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Luke Roach [19] 227 October 2001 Chicago Marathon Chicago, US Heat stroke
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Laura M. Clancy [21] 2920 October 2001 Baltimore Marathon Baltimore, US Brain aneurysm
Flag of Ecuador.svg  ECU Cynthia Lucero [22] 2815 April 2002 Boston Marathon Boston, USHyponatremia
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Hilary Bellamy [22] 3527 October 2002 Marine Corps Marathon Washington, D.C., USHyponatremia
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  GBR Craig Johanson [20] 2814 September 2003 Robin Hood Marathon Nottingham, UK Cardiac arrhythmia
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Rachael Townsend [23] 2912 October 2003 Chicago Marathon Chicago, US Mitral valve prolapse
Flag of the United States.svg  USA James Leone [11] 6019 March 2006 Los Angeles Marathon Los Angeles, USHeart attack
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Raul Reyna [11] 5319 March 2006 Los Angeles Marathon Los Angeles, USHeart attack
Flag of the United States.svg  USA William Goggins [24] 4330 July 2006 San Francisco Marathon San Francisco, US Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Flag of the United States.svg  USA George Spears, Sr. [25] 491 October 2006 Twin Cities Marathon Minneapolis, USHeart attack
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Earl Seyford [26] 5629 October 2006 Marine Corps Marathon Washington, D.C., USHeart attack
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Marc Witkes [27] 4010 December 2006Tucson Marathon Tucson, USCongenital heart abnormalities
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  GBR David Rogers [28] 2222 April 2007 London Marathon London, UKHyponatremia
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Chad Schieber [29] 357 October 2007 Chicago Marathon Chicago, USMitral valve prolapse
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Ryan Shay [30] 283 November 2007 USA Marathon Championships New York City, USCardiac arrhythmia
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Adam Nickel [31] 272 March 2008 Little Rock Marathon Little Rock, USCoronary artery abnormality;
electrolyte imbalance
Flag of Brazil.svg  BRA Carlos Jose Gomes [32] 582 November 2008 New York City Marathon New York City, USHeart attack
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Joseph Marotta [32] 662 November 2008 New York City Marathon New York City, USHeart attack
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Fred Costa [32] 412 November 2008 New York City Marathon New York City, USHeart attack
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Erin Lahr [33] 2914 December 2008 Dallas Marathon Dallas, US Cardiac arrhythmia
Flag of Ireland.svg  IRE Colin Dunne [34] 271 March 2009 Barcelona Marathon Barcelona, SpainHeart attack
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Peter Curtin [35] 2310 October 2009 Baltimore Marathon Baltimore, USUndetermined, possible heat stroke;
body temperature 107 °F (42 °C)
Flag of the United States.svg  USA William Caviness359 October 2011 Chicago Marathon Chicago, USHeart attack
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Ulysses Thomas [36] 585 November 2011 Savannah Marathon Savannah, US
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  GBR Claire Squires [37] 3022 April 2012 London Marathon London, UKHeart attack, DMAA supplement
Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Xavier Jiménez [38] 4517 March 2013 Barcelona Marathon Barcelona, SpainHeart attack
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  GBR Sam Harper Brighouse [39] 2314 April 2013 Brighton Marathon Brighton, UK Ischemic colitis
Flag of the United States.svg  USA R. Jacob Zeman [40] 359 November 2013 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Savannah, US"Unsuspected heart condition"
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  GBR Robert Berry [41] 4213 April 2014 London Marathon London, UKHeat stroke
Flag of the Philippines.svg  PHI Manases Alfon Jr. [42] 387 February 2016Condura Skyway Marathon Philippines
Flag of the Philippines.svg  PHI Arnold Lubang [43] 407 February 2016Condura Skyway Marathon Philippines Cardiac arrest
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  GBR Mike Freeman [44] 5528 February 2016Vodafone Malta Marathon Sliema, Malta"Natural causes"
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  GBR David Seath [45] 3124 April 2016 London Marathon London, UKHeart attack
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  NED Rob Bremer [46] 5026 November 2017 Curacao KLM Marathon Curacao Cardiac arrest
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  GBR Matt Campbell [47] 2922 April 2018 London Marathon London, UKCardiac arrest
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  GBR Juan Camilo Arboleda Alzate [48] 3816 September 2018Medellín Marathon Medellín, ColombiaHeart attack
Flag of Chile.svg  CHI Claudio Agurto Spencer [49] 517 April 2019Santiago Marathon Santiago, Chile Aortic dissection
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Taylor Ceepo [50] 2219 May 2019Cleveland MarathonCleveland, USCardiac
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Steve Trickett [51] 3526 May 2019Ottawa MarathonOttawa, Ontario, CanadaHeart Attack
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Harry Vroulis [52] 7419 January 2020 Houston Marathon Houston, USHeart attack
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Gregory McSween419 November 2021Marine Corps Marathon
Flag of France.svg  FRA Bruno Meunier [53] 415 June 2022Marathon de la Liberté Caen, FranceHeart attack
Flag of Japan.svg  JPN unnamed [54] 693 March 2024 Tokyo Marathon Sumida, Tokyo
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Joey Fecci [55] 2627 April 2024Nashville Marathon Nashville, US"Natural causes"
Flag of Portugal.svg  POR Marco Gomes [56] 4228 April 2024 Maratona da Europa Aveiro, PT
CountryEventDeathsDate
Flag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka Weliveriya bombing 155 April 2008
Flag of the United States.svg  USA Boston Marathon bombing 315 April 2013
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China Gansu ultramarathon disaster 2122 May 2021

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References

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Further reading