One runner in Saturday’s RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon was killed. Five others were taken to hospital as a result of potentially record-setting temperatures in New York City.
The department stated that three of the patients in hospital were in serious condition. However, their injuries were not life-threatening. Two other patients had minor injuries.
A spokesman said it was unclear whether warming temperatures had played a role in the runner’s death or the other people’s injuries. Participants were warned by race organizers about possible heat risks.
According to race officials, the 30-year old man collapsed on Ocean Parkway, Brighton Beach Avenue just before he crossed the finish line. According to police, the man was taken by ambulance to Coney Island Hospital.
New York Road Runners, the organization that organizes the half-marathon, spokeswoman Trina Singian. She said that medical personnel stationed at the finish lane rushed for the man’s treatment. “We are deeply saddened by the passing of a participant following the 2022 RBC Brooklyn Half,” the spokeswoman, Trina Singian, said in a statement.
His death marks the first death of a half-marathon participant since 2014, when a 31 year-old runner collapsing after crossing the finish lines. The 13.1-mile race’s course starts in Prospect Park, and ends in Coney Island.
At 7 a.m. on Saturday morning, temperatures were in the low 60s. By 11 a.m., they had risen to low 70s. The Fire Department reported that there was a death and serious injuries. According to the National Weather Service, the relative humidity was higher than 95 percent during the race’s first hour.
Temperatures were expected rise throughout the afternoon, possibly reaching 93 degrees in Central Park. This would tie the record for the day.
Source: NY Times
