‘Heat’ tragedy at B’klyn race
Runner dies in half marathon
A runner died Saturday morning after finishing the Brooklyn Half Marathon, authorities said.
The 30-year-old man, whose name was not released, possibly suffered cardiac arrest at about 9 a.m. and was rushed to Coney Island Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The runner collapsed on the boardwalk after finishing the race, according to a source and the New York Road Runners club, which held the 13.1-mile event.
The FDNY said 15 other people were taken to a hospital, including four who had serious injuries.
The race, which took 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.
“Maybe an organizer or health official should have called it [off],” one cop said.
The Road Runners said it had nine aid stations with hydration throughout the course, as well as “medical staff placed from start to finish . . . who are ready to respond immediately to the medical needs of all runners, spectators, volunteers and staff.”
John Peterson, 26, said he has run in the event multiple times, but Saturday’s was the hottest and most grueling one he has 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, Queens, 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.”