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Roni Schutzer / AP
Paramedics treat a runner suffering from heat In Tel Aviv, Israel, on Friday. An Israeli soldier died of a heat stroke after completing the half-marathon, prompting Israel's minister of public security to criticize organizers for allowing the race to take place during a heat wave.
A man in his 30s died and four people were put in medically induced comas on Friday after suffering heat stroke and dehydration while running a half-marathon in Israel.
The race was run in temperatures that climbed from the 70s at the 5:45 a.m. (11:45 p.m. Thursday ET) start but approached 90 degrees in less than two hours.
City officials and organizers of the Tel Aviv Gillette Marathon last week decided to postpone the full race until March 22 because the forecast called for temperatures approaching 100 degrees. The starting time of Friday's half-marathon was moved 30 minutes earlier.
Medical personnel said 60 people were tended to by ambulances and 30 were taken to hospitals. Twelve people were listed in critical condition early Friday, with four in medically induced comas, but the number in critical condition had dropped to two by Friday afternoon.
Paul Goldman, an NBC News producer and editor in Tel Aviv, ran the race and said he had no difficulties and was unaware of any problems until he had finished in 1 hour and 42 minutes. Many of those who collapsed were further back in the field, he said.
"After the race, when we finished and went to get water, the ambulances started arriving," Goldman said. "Then I started hearing more sirens. Here in Israel when you hear sirens, you can identify when it’s just one siren or whether it’s an incident. You could tell something was going on."
While Goldman said he was personally unaffected by the temperatures, he added that "everyone complained that it was very dry."
"I felt it was very dry from the start," he said. "You feel it in the lips and the mouth."
City officials held meetings before Friday's race and allowed it to go ahead after consultations with "the highest-ranking medical professionals," Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai said in a statement.
"We will investigate and examine the event thoroughly and we will reach conclusions and learn the necessary lessons," he added. "We will also cooperate fully with any investigation that will occur regarding this matter."
The mayor noted that the race was run "under decent weather, according to all of the official opinions."
Goldman, who has been running for 15 years, said many runners, particularly Israelis, would not have had an opportunity to train extensively this year in hot weather.
"It was winter until literally a week ago," he said. "Everyone that has trained for the marathon, we were all running in rain conditions and training in pretty cold weather. Suddenly people who were training in the cold were running in the heat. Your body is not used to it."
Related:
Full Israel coverage from NBC News
Gideon Markowicz / EPA
Zohar Bimro is treated by a medic after winning Friday's half-marathon in Tel Aviv, Israel. One participant died and more than 50 others were injured.
Leave a Comment:
All Bush's fault.
Or Obama's.
as my mother says "thats another way I wont die"...
i'm too much of a quitter to let my body fail and just "push through it" in order to prove how tough I am.
i prefer living, it's not a choice for everyone I understand.
People died and went to the hospital because of a RACE?
@CoRAvens Fan,
You could say that about a lot of things. People died and went to the hospital because of SMOKING? People died and went to the hospital for being OBESE? See how that works, there is inherent danger in everything. Hell, since your a football fan you could say "People are committing suicide and getting irreversible brain damage from repeated blows to the head all because of FOOTBALL?"
Marathons (or almost all long distance running) are one of the dumbest things to train/do to your body. The effects on your heart, muscle tissue, knees, joints, etc are just not worth it.
If this race was held in our Country, there would be lawsuits against the medical professionals that gave the OK to start the race.
James,
A couple thousand years ago, running was the first cell phones. They literally ran for 20 to 30 miles straight to deliver letters or important news.
The problem with today, is evolution of the human body has created the human body to be weaker.
It seems the human race is inventing "everything" to do the job for us. Making us lazier and lazier, obese not to mention, taking over all our jobs since machines work 24/7, never late to work, don't talk back to the boss...no sick days, vacations or breaks.
Some can actually repair themselves. Scary man. One day,.......well, you never know dude....
Really James? Of all the dumb things people do to their bodies, endurance training would not be near the top of the list Im pretty sure.
I guess you are right Ben64. But I don't smoke, I am not obese and I don't actually play football, I just enjoy watching it. So, to actually be a participant in a race and wind up in the hospital or dead because I wouldn't stop is just a little mind boggling to me.
CoRavensFan, I understand that POV. I was a marathon runner for some years, but have quit now because of age, or that's my story anyway. Marathoning is hard, sometimes your legs just won't go, it's hard to hold your arms up for 3-5 hours, lots of things you can't imagine now can happen. During several of my races, at 23 miles or so I had considered just moving over to the side, sitting down, putting my head in my hands, and crying. "Why did I think this was a good idea", I'd say. "I don't have to do this. This is stupid." But the idea, in part, is to consider something that at one time seemed IMPOSSIBLE..... and then do it. When I was young, the only people who ran marathons were a few "demented" males. I'm glad I didn't quit. Yes, there are other things you could focus on instead, but I chose long-distance running.
Perhaps studies could be done of the most miles in the fewest hours a range of healthy people could reasonably run; then races could be set around that standard.
CoRavensFan - I'd have to agree with Ben's assessment. People do a lot of things and end up in the hospital or sometimes (rarely) die from. They want to finish what they started because the committed to it and trained for it. Most probably have people out there cheering for them as well. I know this from experience, and it's just not in the cards to pull over. I've never been hospitalized so I don't know exactly what the breaking point is, but like the article said, they weren't used to running in the heat yet. So I'm betting most just didn't realize how far gone they were until they literally collapsed. Heat can do some weird things to you.
And James and especially Jessica, I feel bad for you two. The sense of accomplishment after doing something like a marathon or Ironman or whatever it may be is amazing. It feels even better when you want to stop so bad, but push through and finish anyway. Get out and try it, it's much better than sitting on the couch and watching someone else play football or basketball.
Creek Dog..."The problem with today, is evolution of the human body has created the human body to be weaker."
Seriously doubt evolution has made that much change. Rather, advances in medicine (vaccinations, etc.), food quality and availability, and better shelter from the elements have allowed more humans to survive, especially the weaker ones that did not survive to reproduce 1000's of years ago.
If we have another comet/asteroid strike like the one that wiped out the dinosaurs or a decade-long super-volcanoe eruption that drastically alters earth's climate for hundreds of years, it's likely the survivors will be the physically superior.
Also suggest on reading up on ultra marathoners. They run distances further than a normal marathon and in many different extremes.
When I ran cross country in high school, it wasn't uncommon to have a 10-12 mile run on an afternoon when the temperature was in the upper 90's and the heat index in the low 100's. All I remember is sweating a lot more.
This post is asinine. Dying because of a race is like killing yourself by hitting yourself in the hit repeatedly, all you have to do is stop when you get dizzy.
You are comparing long term affects of doing something to an immediate reaction from pushing the body where you could have just stopped.
Apparently you are one of those running fanatics who get defensive when anyone points out anything negative about running.
Darnthatdream gave a rational response that you could learn from.
Oh and Reddles, this has nothing to do with the mileage. 13.1 miles is not all that difficult. People are doing ultra-marathons 50+ miles in a day. This was from the dramatic increase in temp in such a short time period. Many obviously weren't prepared for it and didn't hydrate properly. It happens, unfortunately. I think it was the Boston or Chicago marathon last year they debated waiting for another weekend because of the high temps. It happens everywhere and people just need to know what they are in store for and be prepared.
I used to run the corporate challenge in Central Park NYC. It was always really hot and humid. One night 2 people died. It was only a 3.5 mile race. The problem isn't the run, its the preparation for it. Apparently in Israel it was cool until the time of the race so no one was used to the heat. Didn't Dirty Harry say" A man has to know his limitations."
@ honestdebate,
What did I say that is untrue and no i am not defensive about it, but to put people down for something they either love to do or have a passion for is poor form. Your decision to race is fine with me, but the fact is the percentage of people who actually have a medical emergency during a race is so small compared to other things we do in life. Go ahead and call names if it makes you feel better, but I'll take my chances with running and exercising as opposed to not.
Ben, you made completely unrealistic comparisons, so the 'untrue' was in your whole post. I don't care if you want to run till you die or not, but your argument is disingenuous at best.
So smoking is not bad for you...is that your contention? Getting hit in the head during football results in a concussion, is that not instaneous and detremental to your health? Effects of a half marathon accumualte over 2 hours for most, you dont just become dehydrated instantly. Some people dont relize they are dehydrated until its too late. I'll buy your long term effects on some items, but you could use the rationale on most sports where even if the person isn't "pushing the limits" they can have a severe instantaneous injury. And dont kid yourself, everytime there is a horrific accident there are people like you that say "See, they pushed it too hard and look what happened."
Please don't assume that because I watch football on TV that I don't get outside. I live in Breckenridge, CO and football is one of the only things I watch on television (that and Duck Dynasty). Up here in the High Country, we are very outdoorsy people.
Had two well respected physicians tell me that running is one of the worst things for your hips, knees, ankles and feet. You may "feel good, have a well conditioned heart, be able to endure distances without much distress right now, but by the time they are in their 50's and 60's they will begin to have issues with their joints, and will most likely be in constant pain from their 70's until death".
Sounds cheery, huh??? Keep runnin'!
Creek Dog, people did NOT typically run 20 or 30 miles. That's ridiculous. The first man who ran the "marathon" in ancient Greece dropped dead after delivering his message.
This running stuff, especially marathons and half-marathons, is a dangerous fad. At some point not too far away, people will be saying, "Can you imagine they were that stupid back then?"
@ Geo - that is categorically untrue, and this 'physician' you spoke with must not have reviewed any literature in the past several years and is woefully misinformed. There was a very large study out of Stanford that demonstrated that older men who ran compared to those who did not who were all followed for a number of years had FEWER issues with their knees and other joints, in addition to living longer. The current consensus in the medical community is that running does not damage joints. Just look at all of the obese people in an orthopedic office waiting room, and you'll see where the current joint damage is mainly coming from - those people would do better if they'd go for a run and lose some weight.
It all depends on your running habits.
If you run outdoors for long distances (say, over 35 miles/week) there's a pretty good chance you will have joint pain later in life.
Running is a great form of exercise, I just don't see the need to overdo it. People should limit themselves to 5 miles/day at most (if you can do that, you're way more than healthy enough), with the occasional longer distance run. And do it on a treadmill. And change your shoes often.
My friend runs half and full-marathons; he by far is the best young middle distance runner that I know. His 5k time is under 17 minutes. He has done 10k in ~36 minutes. He trains outside like crazy. But he is constantly injured. And he can't get away from running, it's like an addiction for him.
He is in ridiculous shape but I don't see why he needs to go so hard.
Let me help you with your conclusions Mayor; running a half marathon in 90 degree heat will most likely harm you, and might kill you.
It's up to the runners to know what their limits are. 90 degrees is normal for some people, especially with low humidity.
@AG99 is correct. It was not the heat but the very low humidity (<15%) that was the problem. Heat, people, including medical personnel, are familiar with. But humidity's effect on the human body under stress is a good deal different. Race officials would probably have made the same mistake anywhere in the USA except for the Los Angeles area. In LA they have the Santa Anna Winds that bring this level of low humidity and the race would have been cancelled regardless of the temperature if the winds were present.
OCD kills.
Chris, low humidity would be a bonus not a problem. It allows sweat to evaporate and cool the skin, when humid the evaporation effect does not occur nearly as effciently.
They needed to adjust their pace and fluid (and electrolyte) intake.
The human body was not designed to run a marathon
Bruteforce:
Baloney - humans have been running - and running long distances - for quite some time. Here, let me Google that for you:
These were all adults, correct? Sorry, but there is no one to blame but the athletes who didn't drop out when they started to feel ill. An athlete knows their body very well, and if they chose to continue despite the alarming heat, they need to deal with the consequences.
Why must we place blame blame blame. Sometimes poop just happens, especially when you have athletes that are competing, especially something like running a marathon. People obviously cant always tell what exactly is going on with their bodies until it is too late, and the authorities obviously would have never done this on purpose. Hopefully EVERYBODY learns from this.
90 degrees and people are dropping like flies? They should try it in central CA where I live, 90 feels great when you're used to 110-115 degrees in the summer.
Bill- the human body was not designed to throw a baseball overhand, either, but that's how we do it.
At least they died doing what they loved. sarc
Did hey not have water placed throughout the course?
They always do.
Stacee Joon banned, re-reg of Joe Scatone.
that hideous stacee joon was previously that hideous joe scatone??? UGH...knew it had to be some rereg.
THANK YOU SALLY!!!
Years ago I ran a few half-marathons and 10k's while living in Florida. It would often be in the 80's but rarely low in humidity. And if anyone fell out it was usually runners in the back who had not trained properly.
If you start feeling light headed STOP! Your body will shut down quickly under such stresses. The further you push yourself the worse the damage. No longer a runner, but it is a very obsessive and addictive thing.
The problem with running in a marathon, is you don't have to have a brain. All you have to do is run. These people should have known this was going to happen.
Thanks for your commentary. Im sure you are typing this while you wash down your third donut with some sugary coffee drink. If all you have to do is run when was the last time you ran a marathon or half marathon?
Dumb reasoning.
Well, this wasn't a marathon, so I'm not sure what your point is. Apparently, the problem with posting on the internet is that you don't have to have a brain.... thanks for showing us how it works.
Why don't they run these races at night? There's no way in hell I would run in that heat... The athletes should speak up. In the end, they have the last say. Without them, there is no race.
They run at night all the time in Chicago. Amazing how fast you can run when you're dodging bullets.
JobSeeker - Thanks, I need my daily laugh.
hehehehehe totally, Thanks
Jobseekers comment is a lame attempt for levity. Doesn't work fool
BroEli - you a resident of Southside Chicago by any chance?
Where were their parents???
That's just mean! Thoughts and prayers go out, of course. And one point to make, when marathons are outlawed, only outlaws will run marathons.
I don't know many outlaws that can run 100 yards much less a marathon. Maybe with a cop chasing them..
And yes, thoughts and prayers go out from here also. I'm not a completely heartless beast.......
NYC mayor Bloomberg just banned any races over three miles and no Gatorade at water stations.
Running a dozen miles in the desert heat in the middle east is dangerous??? Who knew? Why am I reminded of those finalists in the world sauna championship a few years ago. The smaller one cooked himself to death in the competition, itself. The larger one ended up in a coma in the hospital. Took longer to cook, I guess. Don't know if he survived. These are self-inflicted wounds. Too bad.
Ban marathons.
As Forest Gump said......Im not a smart man Lt Dan!
What they should have done was nothing.
with their feet up
All due to global farming. And people have the nerve to say global farming doesn't exist.
Global farming, or global FARTing? Now THAT's a real concern.
And the winners of the 2013 Darwin Awards are...
Nobody forced those people to run!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just their egos.
I run marathons all the time, no matter the weather. bet i cover miles between that barstool and the head.
whatever makes you tick. Your life; your choice.
Too funny!!!
lol scooter, I'm not runnin unless someone's chasing me, and maybe not even then!
you go IA.ScooterTramp!!! rrruuuunnn!!! :)
A man's got to know his limitations.
To quote our vice president, I have three words to descibe the runners. They are a bunch of morons. Oh wait, thats 5 words.
Look at the details of any big race held worldwide. It does not have to be hot to cause injuries/death. There are a lot of folks that enter races without the proper amount of training and suffer tremendously.
It is maybe even more so with half marathons that folks are entering without proper training.
Having run several marathons myself it is something that gets under your skin. You need it. Although not a speedy runner it is exhilarating to finish a race. It has been 6 years since my last one and I would love to be able to do another one. Probably not gonna happen but perhaps 10K's
It see,s only human beings are foolish enough to put their bodies in harm's way for a sport or the thrill or winning of a sport.
Arabs poison the water or air? They don't need a reason. Death fits their culture. Here comes the foreign runners, turn on the smoke machine.
I thought someone would bring up an "Arab", if this happened in an Arab country, or other country in the "Middle East" someone would say, or many would say, something stupid, like "Serves them right", or "tough luck 'ragheads'". Just like with the infestation of locusts, if that would have taken place in a country not liked by "Yank". The racism on this website is rampant, blatant and disgusting. You might know it would come from someone with a moniker like "Yank".
All people on this planet are equal in stature, live with it.
Did anyone check the weather forecast ? hot and dry.....you can't drink water fast enough to make up for what you lose. I don't understand why people push their bodies to such limits without checking all the conditions....foolish.
I personally wouldn't run a marathon, but I won't degrade people who do. I prefer about an hour on the elliptical trainer and some light weights to stay healthy...running is just too hard on my knees and other joints. Running is a much better hobby than smoking or smoking crack! ;)
Prayers to the families of the dead/injured...
My son ran this race yesterday; he's told me the time had been moved earlier in the day, but it was going to be 95-degrees and just as humid (like a lovely day in Jakarta - yucch!), so he was going to be double-sure to hydrate and rehydrate regularly. He's run these before, in conditions close to this, but apparently a lot of people couldn't take it. I knew it was the Gillette (Half)-Marathon immediately upon seeing the small headline 1 dead, 30 hospitalized at half-marathon.
Wishing the best to those killed and seriously-injured and to their families, some of whom may be thousands of miles away from their loved one, kinda like I am. I'm sure I would have heard something this morning (on the west coast), sometime before sundown, when the Sabbath begins, but thankfully have not. Now, he's out of touch until sundown Saturday, which will be tomorrow morning sometime on the west coast.
Pretty damn harrowing from 6700 miles away, no matter how confident you might be....
That's such typical excuse, "my knees and joints ca't take it"! Hahaha! Unless you are crippled from injuries or from birth you have zero excuse not to run, it's such BS!! Where I run there are these individuals almost twice my age who run long distances in the heat and in the cold and don't seem to have a problem w their knees! I admire them and it gives me quite a bit of competition to keep up w them. People who complain about their joints are lazy.
youwish.... fact that walking is much better for you.....and yes I am a former Marine so I have been there with all the running and PT; and can attest to the knee pain from all the running and ground pounding.
"People who complain about their joints are lazy." ignorance must be bliss ~
I'm very glad for you that you are one of the few not dealing with any kind of joint pain or inflammation. I am also Blessed to be included in that very small circle. Sadly, there are millions that do suffer from joint pain for a myriad of reasons and your post, at best, is quite insulting. Sure hope that you never have to deal with RA, OA, GA, bursitis, lupus or some of the other diseases affecting joints. Of course, this wouldn't include injuries.
http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/symptoms/joint_disease/causes.htm
With all due credit, youwish, and as a person who's had three knee surgeries and needs it replaced, has had one shoulder replaced and will likely need another, has had one foot rebuilt and reinforced with titanium, and who lives with the daily pain of osteoarthritis, please consider this:
Go @!$%# yourself, get AIDS and die.
Love,
An orthopedic surgeon's wet dream
@ youwish - I'm a marathon runner myself, but what you said is just ignorant. I personally have a friend whom I ran with in college, and she can no longer run because she has very flat arches, and it is terrible on her joints. She is a physician, by the way, and very fit. She just can't run. Yes, I'm sure there are some people using that as an excuse, but since you can't tell exactly their circumstances, it is arrogant of you to assume they are all lazy.
Despite what runners like to tell you, running marathons is not good for your body. I use to run, now I bike. I can bike further, more often, with a hell of a lot less wear and tear on my body. Swimming is also way better than running. Low impact is the way to go peeps.
Running is a cult that you're better off avoiding...
Completely incorrect. Running is fine for the body. Twisting, turning quickly, jumping in various directions quickly, etc... (like basketball and football) are far, far worse for the ankles, knees, hips, pelvis and back. You're using your opinion as fact. For you, low impact is the way to go. For others, that may not be true. Regardless, saying a sport is bad for you just because YOU don't like it or aren't good at it is immature at best.
If you have to get wheels under you to get a work out, you are pretty much a lazy mother effer who takes the easy way out. Running is hard and that is why most avoid it like the plague. My friend can bench a few hundred lbs of metal, yet he can't even do 2 miles at medium pace. Even he admits that he's lazy!
My doctor wholly disagrees with you.
Running tends to weed people like you out.
Swimming is awesome!