On January 22, according to the official confirmation of the Hong Kong Marathon, a 30-year-old half marathon runner suddenly fainted at Tin Hau Station of the Hong Kong Metro on the way back after finishing the race, and died after being sent to the hospital for rescue.
At present, the event company has contacted the family and provided appropriate assistance. At the same time, the organizer also reminds all participants to pay close attention to their physical condition.
Since 2006, this is the sixth runner to die in Hong Kong Marathon, especially since 2012 in the 10 races, this "devil's track" has claimed the lives of five runners.
Just after the sudden death incident, Lui Xiongde, associate head of the Department of Health and Physical Education of the Education University of Hong Kong, said that running a marathon is a high-load sport, and participants must do what they can and pay attention to their physical changes.
The Hong Kong Marathon starts with a gun.
Devil's track, do what you can
Two days after the Hong Kong race, the news of the runner's sudden death after the race is still fermenting.
According to media reports in Hong Kong, China, the deceased male runner, surnamed Zhang, was 30 years old and signed up for the half marathon event in Hong Kong.
After the race, he still received the finisher's medal and his stored equipment as normal, and then prepared to take the subway to Yau Tsim Mong for lunch with friends. However, when he arrived at Tin Hau Station of the Hong Kong MTR at around 12 noon, he suddenly fainted and sat on the ground.
Unfortunately, the runner died after being taken to Ruttonjee Hospital for emergency treatment.
According to the Hong Kong Athletics Association and Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, the half-marathon runner who died suddenly was a native of Hainan, worked as an engineer, and had been exercising in Hong Kong for several years.
After the incident, the Hong Kong police have contacted his family, and the Hong Kong Athletics Association and the racing company have expressed their condolences for the sudden death of the runner, and have expressed their condolences to his family, and have provided all kinds of assistance and aftermath work as much as possible.
The scene of the Hong Kong Marathon.
This is the sixth publicly reported sudden death incident in the Hong Kong Marathon since 2006.
In the six years from 2012 to 2018, four runners reportedly died after fainting, and the sudden death of the runners ranged in age from 24 to 52, some of them in the 10-kilometer race.
As one of the most popular marathons in Asia, the Hong Kong Marathon has suffered many participants due to the difficulty of its "Devil's Race".
According to the Hong Kong Athletics Association, 842 participants were injured in this year's Hong Kong race, most of them were abrasions and sprains, and by 4 p.m. on the day of the race, a total of 39 people were hospitalized for treatment, and one person was still in critical condition on the 22nd.
One of the male runners who participated in the 10km was in very serious condition, fainting near the finish line in Victoria Park and suffering a cardiac arrest.
In fact, the weather in Hong Kong and Malaysia this year has been much "milder" compared to previous years.
According to public information, the worst accident occurred in 2006 - due to the hot and humid weather, more than 4,800 people suffered cramps and felt unwell that day, 22 people were hospitalized, and a 33-year-old male runner died.
Why do sudden deaths mostly occur in half a marathon?
Cardiac arrest and sudden death are the test that marathons all over the world face.
In an interview with the media, Lei Xiongde, deputy head of the Department of Health and Physical Education at The Education University of Hong Kong, cited a data from an international authoritative organization - in the general mass long-distance running race, one person dies suddenly after every 100,000 people participate.
For this reason, Lei Xiongde also stressed, especially for 10km and half marathon runners, that they should pay special attention to the load on the heart, if it does not return to normal in time, it is easy to cause heart disease.
Looking at the sudden death of runners in Hong Kong horses over the years, most of them occur in half marathons and 10km events, and they generally run near the finish line or after the finish line.
The reason is that many people want to follow the crowd to enter the marathon track after feeling the "running fever", and compared with the more professional full marathon, the half marathon has become the first choice for running "rookies".
"Almost all the athletes who participate in the marathon need to train systematically for a long time, which can be as short as three or four months, and as long as six months or a year. They often train for more than 20 kilometers, so they know themselves better. Professional running coach Wang Xiaogang once told The Paper.
In his opinion, many runners who participate in the half marathon are "impulsive consumers", many of whom may only run 5 kilometers or 10 kilometers, but feel that the 21 kilometers can be completed as long as they grit their teeth, and do not understand their physical limits.
Take responsibility for yourself and pay attention to your physical condition before and after the finish line
Taking the six sudden deaths of Hong Kong horses in the past 20 years as an example, there are actually some commonalities among these sad misfortunes - runners are basically in the prime of life, usually in good physical condition, and run regularly.
"Many young runners who participate in the half marathon are easily overexcited in the race because of their lack of experience and professionalism. Wang Xiaogang pointed out that this has also become an important reason why most of the tragedies on the track occur at or near the finish line.
"Because of the lack of systematic training and the lack of understanding of the changes in the body in the extreme state, when they are near the finish line, they hear the cheering cries of the spectators or volunteers next to them, and it is easy for them to start sprinting because of the accelerated secretion of adrenaline. ”
"They subconsciously accelerate, which can cause their heart rate to exceed 200. Perhaps this is far beyond the limits of what they can handle. ”
That's why there are four principles that runners should keep in mind before and during a marathon.
First of all, you can't race blindly.
Be sure to participate in the registration physical examination carefully, find out possible cardiovascular problems in time, and follow the doctor's instructions.
Neither long-distance running nor marathons are fashionable, so don't race for vanity and trends. Without long hours of progressive training, without much foundation in endurance sports, competing is tantamount to playing with life.
Second, you shouldn't just do short-term training.
Participating in any running race requires long-term and consistent training, as well as a gradual running volume. It should not be assumed that you can participate directly if you have good physical fitness and regularly participate in sports.
Short-term running training will not improve heart function, but will increase the burden on the heart.
Third, pay attention to your heart rate and pulse during the race.
Allocate your physical strength throughout the whole process reasonably, and don't be too aggressive when starting and sprinting due to excitement. Pay attention to your pulse or heart rate during the race, and be sure to slow down if it becomes unusually fast or drops rapidly.
If you have chest tightness, palpitations, dizziness, cold sweats, or sweating, you should stop running.
Fourth, don't stop immediately after the race.
At the end of the race, all participants should jog in small steps and gradually stop, without stopping suddenly, and then perform a full-body relaxation activity to eliminate fatigue.