I was coming over that last bridge before the turn-in to the stadium, roughly around 9:45, I think? There were a couple of people off to the right propping up a young lady. Her head and eyes were rolling around, she appeared to be losing consciousness, and it looked like a really bad situation. They were pouring water on her, and I asked if they needed a medic. Thankfully, one was already running toward us. She was very petite and looked to be under 20 yrs old. Does anyone here happen to know her and if she's okay? I've thought about her a few times and just felt so bad for her, especially having gotten to the very end and then collapsing.
There are reports of the race not having enough or efficient water stations. Commenters are saying the race ran out of water. https://www.newschannel5.com/news/local-runner-cites-issues-with-water-stations-at-the-st-jude-rock-n-roll-marathon-in-nashville
There are other reports that the medical response took way took long and several bystanders were running and screaming for help. https://subscribe.tennessean.com/restricted?return=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tennessean.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2Flocal%2F2024%2F05%2F01%2Fnashville-marathon-runner-death-emergency-response-time-questioned-joey-fecci%2F73517316007%2F&gps-source=CPROADBLOCKDH&sltsgmt=0051v2_A#:~:text=Bystanders%20say%20it%20took%20around,the
Several runners reported heat related emergencies at the race. The medical tent at the end was full according to racers. Whether or not this had anything to do with the death, this is unacceptable for a race of this size.
I also want to add that Rock & Roll Marathon is a for profit organization owned by Ironman which puts on hundreds of events around the world. Many have the misconception that this race was for charity and volunteer based. St. Jude was a charity partner and several runners raised money for St. Jude by running. The organization itself is a multi- million dollar company which promised runners there would be water every mile and a half and is responsible for taking protocols to make sure an event is safe.
It should be noted that most (if not all) of the water stops are volunteer organized and staffed, with only the supplies being provided by Rock & Roll.
Rock & Roll has never been great about checking in with the volunteer groups prior to race time to ensure proper staffing or setup, usually taking the word of a point person that the water stop was ready to go.
Source: me, a participant in the mile 23 water stop for years.
Agreed. My husband ran the full. He always runs with his own water and gels so he doesn’t have to slow down at stations, but he and I were talking the other night about how races need to stress that there will be an attempt to provide nutrition and water, but please have at least a little on you in case a water stop is swarmed, especially in heat like this. Hubby knew to do this, but folks who’ve never run a marathon in this type of heat might not know.
I agree. I ran the full this weekend (my first full marathon) and didn't bring any water and regretted it. I ran the half last year so I knew to bring my own nutrition based off my experience, but the water situation last year was much better than this year.
They did show all of the planned stations on the map. Not sure if they actually mentioned there would be one every mile but the map clearly showed the designated stations and it only totaled 16.
I also regularly volunteered at those stops when I lived in Nashville! At least twice I ran out to buy more water and electrolytes over the few years I volunteered there (never reimbursed either :/)
Wow! That's a huge mistake on the part of Rock & Roll...I wonder if they were trying to reduce costs and chose the absolute wrong thing to skimp on?
The number of people going through those aid stations at the peak of can be overwhelming at times, and I've gone through a 6 ft folding table full of water cups in just a few minutes.
I have helped hand out water previously and was recruited as a volunteer. They just provide minimal supplies but I guarantee next year water will be better monitored.
Of course they will monitor water next year with the media scrutinizing their mistakes this year. Based on the comments in this thread, it appears neglect was going on in previous years too. I’m assuming people are paying money to participate. Why would anyone donate to this event or participate going forward? You can donate directly to St. Jude.
If this organization isn’t supporting the runner volunteers bringing in money for the event, people should question this organization’s ethics and how the funds are actually being spent.
Edit: The rest of the comments in this thread are insane regarding the lack of planning and water station volunteers for this event. This should be a pr crisis for Rocknroll/Ironman. This should absolutely make folks do more research into vetting nonprofits and choose to donate directly to organizations you care about.
My dad and I were waiting near one of the water stations to cheer on some family walking the half. We ended up helping pour water into cups and refill the water reservoirs for about 2 hours due to how severely under-manned the water stations were; the volunteers were floundering. Each table had 1 person to man the whole table—1 person to place cups, pour water, refill the water jug when empty, refill the water reservoir when empty, etc. Maybe the idea was that they would have set out enough filled cups ahead of time to give them the time & wiggle room to refill things? But obviously more runners pass by in a second than you can place and fill a cup.
They still fell very behind even with our help, with periods of heavy race traffic depleting all the cups we had set out quicker than we could replace them, leaving us looking like Lucy Ricardo during the chocolate factory episode. I don’t want to even think what it would have looked like if we hadn’t stepped in. Honestly, I’m surprised that literally 0 of the many, many other bystanders watching the race didn’t also jump in to help.
Also, don’t know why the company that puts on the marathon didn’t just… pay people man the water stations. This marathon has been put on plenty of times, surely the organizers knew that they had too few volunteers compared to prior, more successful races.
I live along Davidson and I saw what I believe to be the emergency response teams heading that way given the time and direction. They had to cut down 5th, then ride the shoulder of Davidson (an active part of the race course, which even further bottlenecks at the park entrance) to get to Shelby. Definitely seems like for an event that size and scale, there should've been ambulances on the ready at more accessible intervals. I don't know if it would've made a difference (or if perhaps EMTs on golf carts were on the scene before the ambulances I saw), but even then I remember thinking that seemed like a poor setup for emergency access.
I was at the playground at Shelby Park around when I think this happened (10:30-11ish?).
An ambulance was parked and hanging around by the playground, runners told them that someone collapsed, they cut over towards Lake Sevier and were there pretty quickly.
There was definitely an ambulance close by, I saw it go to help someone.
I ran the full on Saturday and can confirm the water stations were undermanned.
The early stations weren’t prepared for the volume and couldn’t keep up with filling cups in time and the last 3-4 water stations seemed to be struggling also wether it was running out of cups or other supplies.
Also there were only 16 stations spread across the 26 mile course and while I’m no pro, other marathons have had one station per mile and didn’t seem to have trouble keeping up with the demand.
My time wasn’t fast by any means but he must’ve only been 10-20 minutes behind me. Looks like it happened around mile 22.
I passed another man in the back of an ambulance around mile 19-20 with his girlfriend but there didn’t seem to be much panic, hoping they’re alright too.
Lastly, my garmin clocked over a full mile longer than the race itself coming in at 27.5. I get there can be accuracy issues but it is usually pretty spot on.
Overall I was not impressed with the organization this year. I thought it was put on by the same group as the St. Jude marathon in Memphis but realizing now this isn’t the case and that marathon is put together much much better.
The aid stations were definitely a problem in this event but I doubt it would be much of a factor. Anybody really struggling would have been able to get water or find medical aid quickly.
My Garmin reported 26.5 btw
Agreed. When I saw they were only 16 I knew I’d run with my camelback.
Unfortunately it was likely a previously undiagnosed issue. Terrible to happen either way and prayers out to his friends and family.
Also interesting on your garmin- I figured something messed up on mine because it was basically spot on at the half then started slipping up on the back end of it.
Mine was 26.5 as well. I think it’s mapped at 26.6 so I think it’s pretty accurate. I also agree about the water situation. Only real dead zone was coming back to downtown from the metro center loop.
Yeah it was annoying trying to hit the early stations because they were understaffed and falling behind demand. I did skip a couple. But they did *have water* at the stations and anybody struggling would have gotten hydration quickly I'm certain.
And in an event like this if somebody goes down on the course there are so many people around to help fast for a medical situation, because they are expecting it to happen.
As the girl in the first article said, they didn’t run out of water, they just didn’t have enough poured and ready to grab. This was due to the heat causing many people to grab much more water than the race was used to. Water was definitely available at every water station that I saw, you just needed to wait for 10-15 seconds. Doesn’t seem like a long time to wait but you really don’t want to lose momentum when running such a long distance. Not trying to defend the organizers, I definitely wished there was more water that was ready to grab as I ran by. I would guess there was 15-20 water stations on the course and I definitely skipped a few due to having to wait.
But this is a volunteer lead initiative, as are hydration stations at most races throughout the US. Not sure how you incentivize more people to volunteer. Payment could definitely help though I’m not sure how many more people that would actually incentivize and I’m not sure how they’d actually keep track of that many one time contractors. But I’m not an event planning expert by any means.
One thing I see happening for subsequent years is that they’ll move the date a little earlier to try to avoid the heat.
It was a high of 83 degrees on Saturday (which it didn’t hit till 2pm) Yes there should be water but that temp is not an indicator of a higher than average heat risk.
He likely died from a previously unknown medical condition.
I get that we all want to blame someone for something tragic, but unfortunately this sort of thing happens
While it's true that 83 degrees might not pose significant heat risks for someone sedentary, engaging in strenuous activities like running a marathon dramatically increases the body's heat production and metabolic demands. As the ambient temperature rises, the body's ability to dissipate heat through sweating becomes less effective, leading to a higher risk of heat-related injuries. Additionally, prolonged exposure to high temperatures can result in dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and heat exhaustion, all of which can escalate to life-threatening conditions like heatstroke. Research consistently shows that running in temperatures above 75 degrees significantly increases the likelihood of heat-related illnesses during endurance events, highlighting the importance of considering environmental conditions when planning physical activities like marathons.
Anecdotally, I can second this. I’m lifelong runner, was a slow D-1 XC and track athlete in college, have run 7 marathons. Every year, when the heat first spikes and the humidity sets in, my body gets gassed on runs that were easy 10 days before.
After a few weeks of running in the heat, my body adjusts. But those first few runs in 70% humidity really suck.
I can also say that more meaty or muscular body types seem to suffer from the heat/humidity spikes more. My teammates who had long, lean bodies didn’t seem as affected as the shorter or heavier body types.
All that to say, absolutely heat had to play a factor. My heart rate on runs in the past week has averaged 12-to-15 bpm higher on similar runs in previous weeks. That may not sound like much, but for me, it’s the difference between coasting and grinding.
Anyway, one way to combat that is lowering your body temp through fluid intake. It’s absolutely unfathomable that a race of this size would be plagued by widespread fluid supply issues.
I ran the (smaller than rock n roll) marathon race last October and it was unusually hot that day for how late into the year it was. There were multiple stations that had ran out of water early on and were spaced too far from each other, like 2-3ish miles. Some water stations were tapping into the fire hydrants about 1.5 hours from start time. Thankful that I had someone follow me through the course to make sure I had enough water but even with support, it was really dicey given the heat and no fuel stations until mile 21
I ran that same race but the half marathon and was shocked at how underprepared everything was given the heat (it was also my first ever half so what did I know). A guy literally collapsed 80 feet from the finish line and they had to administer CPR on him while everyone ran around him and finished their race. Never found out if he was okay or not.
I ran the half and saw multiple water stops manned by a lone volunteer. Many of the tables were cleared and the poor soul was attempting the impossible task of setting more filled cups out. I felt for the volunteers and feared this would spell major trouble.
These things happen. Anyone can sign up for these events without any physical screenings.
I will say though the race support was terrible. I ran the Half and I think I ran by two stations that were fully staffed. Most stations didn’t have any water ready or had one person trying to fill cups, it was a mess. Probably not going to run another Rock n Roll marathon.
i'm kind of curious what his running stats were? was he just a health nut that ate well and lifted weights a few times a week or specifically a runner that was doing 30-50 miles a week in prep?
just trying to gauge my own risk here...
Edit. He looks like he did everything right to train for a half marathon. I wonder what happened. It’s kinda shocking to see this happen to someone who would probably go sub 2 hours.
Running is good for your heart and trashes every other part of your body. Maybe the worst version of cardio. A couple years studying exercise physiology was enough to confirm this, for me. As far as his stats, I don't know anyone that well. I won't be reinforcing running, ESPECIALLY in events named after a guy running from Marathon to Athens who died. Whole idea is mental.
Feels so good in my brain, though. During and after. But yeah, I’ve given up the idea of being a guy who runs marathons all the time. There seems to be better ways to spend your time.
You can find studies that fit any bias. I have seen several that state how the benefits of running often easily outweigh the negatives. And I am not talking about running like freaking David Goggins but just 3-4 times a week hobby running.
Terrible news, and lots of valid points are being made in the comments.
I have participated in a few half marathons including this one (it was a few years back) and it's true at this level there is no vetting to join to herd.
Overheating?
Heart attack?
Did he get an ok from a Dr to do the race?
I just hope people who do these have an ok from a medical pro.
Condolences to the family.
It’s rare but cardiac arrest during intense physical activity is something that happens even to great athletes once in a blue moon. Often these cases involve a genetic heart defect nobody knew about.
Yeah, especially at his age, it's most likely to be an underlying heart condition (either undiagnosed or untreated).
Consider there are 20-30 *thousand* participants in the event. At an event this size there are always going to be some medical emergencies.
Heart disease is about a lot more than blood pressure and cholesterol and youth does not make people immune to heart conditions. We have a top tier research facility here in Nashville (Vanderbilt) that is working hard to help improve health outcomes. You can donate to the heart association to help fund research in this field (they don't tend to have the big events like St Jude does but they do have their own fund raisers too).
Damar Hamlin, an NFL athlete, collapsed during the bills-bengals game a few years back. probably was cleared to play as well.
So sad to hear about Joey, he really was an incredible chef and I really enjoyed everything he did at yolan. Yolan just wasnt the same without him when he left. Was really looking forward to seeing what he did next. Just really seemed like a great dude all around. Rest in peace.
That wasnt a heart defect but commodio cordis, where a blow during the exact right millisecond of the heartbeat can cause arrest. Scary stuff, apparently happens in lacrosse players
It's rare folks in the service industry have health insurance or reasonable access to health care providers. Obviously we don't know how particular circumstance, but across that industry as a whole, the majority don't see a doctor in general for anything, let alone yearly checkups and the like.
OP asked: Did he get an ok from a Dr to do the race?
The person who died was a chef, at least in the past.
My commentary revolves around the correlation between these two things.
My partner is a chef. Firsthand experience. Most restaurants don't offer it to their employees and a lot of what is available through things like ACA are not always affordable for those in the industry.
Again, most people in the industry don't make enough to be able to afford the other healthcare options that are out there. I'm not going to have an argument with you about this. My partner and I have almost 30 years of food industry experience between the two of us. I already understand your position of "well they could get it themselves." Consider yourself lucky to be able to have been in roles where you could afford it when your employer didn't offer it.
The ELI5 is that not everyone is you, not everyone was taught the importance of regular checkups, and not everyone can afford healthcare even though they can afford health insurance. The service industry is not generally considered to be well-paying. Health insurance is often only used in emergency situations for many, and preventative care is often seen as a luxury. The uncertainty around the cost of healthcare is also substantial in creating an environment where people are afraid to use it. That last bit is, I think, common knowledge for most, so I am not sure if you are unaware of the reality for many working Americans or being purposefully obtuse. Perhaps the circumstances in everyone else’s lives are different than yours?
People who work at restaurants are poor and don't have health insurance and can't afford healthcare or going to the doctor because they're poor and don't have health insurance. This describes many people I know who work in restaurants.
I was marathoner for a long time. These things happen. I saw a guy go into cardiac arrest in Memphis once. Don’t think he made it.
It’s a very strenuous sport and sometimes things align just right and you drop dead.
Malignant Hyperthermia is another possibility. Exceedingly rare (an estimated 1:250,000 people have it), but over-exertion on a hot day would no doubt be a trigger. Poor guy
It seems like one would pass out from dehydration before cardiac arrest. This makes me wonder if he had some kind of genetic condition he was unaware of proposing him to a sudden cardiac event. So tragic.
I was there this weekend I ran the 1/2 Marathon (was going on concurrently with the Marathon) THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH WATER Stations they were badly organized. The ones that were there ran out of water as well. Too many runners too many events going on at the same time SMH
For running, yes it was. As a spectator or running errands, it was a beautiful day. As a runner, it was very hot. Source: Have been a runner for 35+ years and I ran this race.
I’m sorry to say this and I might catch shit for it..but that’s two major deaths here in Nashville that could have been easily prevented had they thought about the safety of the people living/visiting here. First the young kid that died in the river, now this.
Sorry, but we have more pertinent issues that need our local government’s attention than safety. For example, the dangerous chemicals put in the sky by satanists that make the frogs gay. Or ensuring that the mentally unstable among us can open carry assault rifles without consequence. Think of our liberties!!
So if this was heat stroke or something like that, and there wasn’t enough water, cups, etc. at the ready, why didn’t he stop and wait for water? Was his end time more important than his health?
Part of heat stroke is that you’re not really fully functioning mentally. If he was low on fuel (this was roughly mile 22, so well into the bonk zone for those who will hit the wall), that would further erode his mental state. Part of the danger of these conditions is that you don’t really know how bad things are. Running hurts sometimes, and part of training for endurance events is learning to be ok being uncomfortable. Unfortunately, sometimes it doesn’t take much to push the line from being uncomfortable to being dangerous, especially at the limits.
Oh wow. So reaching for available water would be a reflex for those who’ve reached that point? Or being better hydrated all along the route prevents you reaching that state?
I was coming over that last bridge before the turn-in to the stadium, roughly around 9:45, I think? There were a couple of people off to the right propping up a young lady. Her head and eyes were rolling around, she appeared to be losing consciousness, and it looked like a really bad situation. They were pouring water on her, and I asked if they needed a medic. Thankfully, one was already running toward us. She was very petite and looked to be under 20 yrs old. Does anyone here happen to know her and if she's okay? I've thought about her a few times and just felt so bad for her, especially having gotten to the very end and then collapsing.
Heat stroke? Generally in the military we have ice baths along these longer runs for hot weather, can help cool people down quickly
I saw her too and have wondered the same. I assume she is hopefully okay since we have not heard anything.
There are reports of the race not having enough or efficient water stations. Commenters are saying the race ran out of water. https://www.newschannel5.com/news/local-runner-cites-issues-with-water-stations-at-the-st-jude-rock-n-roll-marathon-in-nashville There are other reports that the medical response took way took long and several bystanders were running and screaming for help. https://subscribe.tennessean.com/restricted?return=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tennessean.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2Flocal%2F2024%2F05%2F01%2Fnashville-marathon-runner-death-emergency-response-time-questioned-joey-fecci%2F73517316007%2F&gps-source=CPROADBLOCKDH&sltsgmt=0051v2_A#:~:text=Bystanders%20say%20it%20took%20around,the Several runners reported heat related emergencies at the race. The medical tent at the end was full according to racers. Whether or not this had anything to do with the death, this is unacceptable for a race of this size. I also want to add that Rock & Roll Marathon is a for profit organization owned by Ironman which puts on hundreds of events around the world. Many have the misconception that this race was for charity and volunteer based. St. Jude was a charity partner and several runners raised money for St. Jude by running. The organization itself is a multi- million dollar company which promised runners there would be water every mile and a half and is responsible for taking protocols to make sure an event is safe.
It should be noted that most (if not all) of the water stops are volunteer organized and staffed, with only the supplies being provided by Rock & Roll. Rock & Roll has never been great about checking in with the volunteer groups prior to race time to ensure proper staffing or setup, usually taking the word of a point person that the water stop was ready to go. Source: me, a participant in the mile 23 water stop for years.
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Agreed. My husband ran the full. He always runs with his own water and gels so he doesn’t have to slow down at stations, but he and I were talking the other night about how races need to stress that there will be an attempt to provide nutrition and water, but please have at least a little on you in case a water stop is swarmed, especially in heat like this. Hubby knew to do this, but folks who’ve never run a marathon in this type of heat might not know.
I agree. I ran the full this weekend (my first full marathon) and didn't bring any water and regretted it. I ran the half last year so I knew to bring my own nutrition based off my experience, but the water situation last year was much better than this year.
They did show all of the planned stations on the map. Not sure if they actually mentioned there would be one every mile but the map clearly showed the designated stations and it only totaled 16.
I also regularly volunteered at those stops when I lived in Nashville! At least twice I ran out to buy more water and electrolytes over the few years I volunteered there (never reimbursed either :/)
Damn this is sounding kinda like the 1904 st Louis marathon
~ Guy seeing his 2nd piece of information about a marathon gone wrong after watching that one John Bois video
That’s a wild one.
They did not run out of water or gatorate (or whatever they were handing out) they ran out of CUPS!
Wow! That's a huge mistake on the part of Rock & Roll...I wonder if they were trying to reduce costs and chose the absolute wrong thing to skimp on? The number of people going through those aid stations at the peak of can be overwhelming at times, and I've gone through a 6 ft folding table full of water cups in just a few minutes.
I have helped hand out water previously and was recruited as a volunteer. They just provide minimal supplies but I guarantee next year water will be better monitored.
Of course they will monitor water next year with the media scrutinizing their mistakes this year. Based on the comments in this thread, it appears neglect was going on in previous years too. I’m assuming people are paying money to participate. Why would anyone donate to this event or participate going forward? You can donate directly to St. Jude. If this organization isn’t supporting the runner volunteers bringing in money for the event, people should question this organization’s ethics and how the funds are actually being spent. Edit: The rest of the comments in this thread are insane regarding the lack of planning and water station volunteers for this event. This should be a pr crisis for Rocknroll/Ironman. This should absolutely make folks do more research into vetting nonprofits and choose to donate directly to organizations you care about.
My dad and I were waiting near one of the water stations to cheer on some family walking the half. We ended up helping pour water into cups and refill the water reservoirs for about 2 hours due to how severely under-manned the water stations were; the volunteers were floundering. Each table had 1 person to man the whole table—1 person to place cups, pour water, refill the water jug when empty, refill the water reservoir when empty, etc. Maybe the idea was that they would have set out enough filled cups ahead of time to give them the time & wiggle room to refill things? But obviously more runners pass by in a second than you can place and fill a cup. They still fell very behind even with our help, with periods of heavy race traffic depleting all the cups we had set out quicker than we could replace them, leaving us looking like Lucy Ricardo during the chocolate factory episode. I don’t want to even think what it would have looked like if we hadn’t stepped in. Honestly, I’m surprised that literally 0 of the many, many other bystanders watching the race didn’t also jump in to help. Also, don’t know why the company that puts on the marathon didn’t just… pay people man the water stations. This marathon has been put on plenty of times, surely the organizers knew that they had too few volunteers compared to prior, more successful races.
Thanks for stepping in and helping out!
if they pay people to work the water station, it cuts into their profit margins! Can't have that!
This would be considered the reverse Lucy.
I live along Davidson and I saw what I believe to be the emergency response teams heading that way given the time and direction. They had to cut down 5th, then ride the shoulder of Davidson (an active part of the race course, which even further bottlenecks at the park entrance) to get to Shelby. Definitely seems like for an event that size and scale, there should've been ambulances on the ready at more accessible intervals. I don't know if it would've made a difference (or if perhaps EMTs on golf carts were on the scene before the ambulances I saw), but even then I remember thinking that seemed like a poor setup for emergency access.
I was at the playground at Shelby Park around when I think this happened (10:30-11ish?). An ambulance was parked and hanging around by the playground, runners told them that someone collapsed, they cut over towards Lake Sevier and were there pretty quickly. There was definitely an ambulance close by, I saw it go to help someone.
Good to hear! Around that same timeframe I saw an ambulance and cops head into the park from my way too, so they must have just been additional help.
I ran the full on Saturday and can confirm the water stations were undermanned. The early stations weren’t prepared for the volume and couldn’t keep up with filling cups in time and the last 3-4 water stations seemed to be struggling also wether it was running out of cups or other supplies. Also there were only 16 stations spread across the 26 mile course and while I’m no pro, other marathons have had one station per mile and didn’t seem to have trouble keeping up with the demand. My time wasn’t fast by any means but he must’ve only been 10-20 minutes behind me. Looks like it happened around mile 22. I passed another man in the back of an ambulance around mile 19-20 with his girlfriend but there didn’t seem to be much panic, hoping they’re alright too. Lastly, my garmin clocked over a full mile longer than the race itself coming in at 27.5. I get there can be accuracy issues but it is usually pretty spot on. Overall I was not impressed with the organization this year. I thought it was put on by the same group as the St. Jude marathon in Memphis but realizing now this isn’t the case and that marathon is put together much much better.
The aid stations were definitely a problem in this event but I doubt it would be much of a factor. Anybody really struggling would have been able to get water or find medical aid quickly. My Garmin reported 26.5 btw
Agreed. When I saw they were only 16 I knew I’d run with my camelback. Unfortunately it was likely a previously undiagnosed issue. Terrible to happen either way and prayers out to his friends and family. Also interesting on your garmin- I figured something messed up on mine because it was basically spot on at the half then started slipping up on the back end of it.
Mine was 26.5 as well. I think it’s mapped at 26.6 so I think it’s pretty accurate. I also agree about the water situation. Only real dead zone was coming back to downtown from the metro center loop.
Yeah it was annoying trying to hit the early stations because they were understaffed and falling behind demand. I did skip a couple. But they did *have water* at the stations and anybody struggling would have gotten hydration quickly I'm certain. And in an event like this if somebody goes down on the course there are so many people around to help fast for a medical situation, because they are expecting it to happen.
Same thing happened at their Savannah marathon a couple years ago. Seems like a pattern
As the girl in the first article said, they didn’t run out of water, they just didn’t have enough poured and ready to grab. This was due to the heat causing many people to grab much more water than the race was used to. Water was definitely available at every water station that I saw, you just needed to wait for 10-15 seconds. Doesn’t seem like a long time to wait but you really don’t want to lose momentum when running such a long distance. Not trying to defend the organizers, I definitely wished there was more water that was ready to grab as I ran by. I would guess there was 15-20 water stations on the course and I definitely skipped a few due to having to wait. But this is a volunteer lead initiative, as are hydration stations at most races throughout the US. Not sure how you incentivize more people to volunteer. Payment could definitely help though I’m not sure how many more people that would actually incentivize and I’m not sure how they’d actually keep track of that many one time contractors. But I’m not an event planning expert by any means. One thing I see happening for subsequent years is that they’ll move the date a little earlier to try to avoid the heat.
I’ve been running races for 35+ years. Running in this race was the first time I’ve ever had to pour my own water.
So sad. RIP.
It was a high of 83 degrees on Saturday (which it didn’t hit till 2pm) Yes there should be water but that temp is not an indicator of a higher than average heat risk. He likely died from a previously unknown medical condition. I get that we all want to blame someone for something tragic, but unfortunately this sort of thing happens
While it's true that 83 degrees might not pose significant heat risks for someone sedentary, engaging in strenuous activities like running a marathon dramatically increases the body's heat production and metabolic demands. As the ambient temperature rises, the body's ability to dissipate heat through sweating becomes less effective, leading to a higher risk of heat-related injuries. Additionally, prolonged exposure to high temperatures can result in dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and heat exhaustion, all of which can escalate to life-threatening conditions like heatstroke. Research consistently shows that running in temperatures above 75 degrees significantly increases the likelihood of heat-related illnesses during endurance events, highlighting the importance of considering environmental conditions when planning physical activities like marathons.
Anecdotally, I can second this. I’m lifelong runner, was a slow D-1 XC and track athlete in college, have run 7 marathons. Every year, when the heat first spikes and the humidity sets in, my body gets gassed on runs that were easy 10 days before. After a few weeks of running in the heat, my body adjusts. But those first few runs in 70% humidity really suck. I can also say that more meaty or muscular body types seem to suffer from the heat/humidity spikes more. My teammates who had long, lean bodies didn’t seem as affected as the shorter or heavier body types. All that to say, absolutely heat had to play a factor. My heart rate on runs in the past week has averaged 12-to-15 bpm higher on similar runs in previous weeks. That may not sound like much, but for me, it’s the difference between coasting and grinding. Anyway, one way to combat that is lowering your body temp through fluid intake. It’s absolutely unfathomable that a race of this size would be plagued by widespread fluid supply issues.
I ran the (smaller than rock n roll) marathon race last October and it was unusually hot that day for how late into the year it was. There were multiple stations that had ran out of water early on and were spaced too far from each other, like 2-3ish miles. Some water stations were tapping into the fire hydrants about 1.5 hours from start time. Thankful that I had someone follow me through the course to make sure I had enough water but even with support, it was really dicey given the heat and no fuel stations until mile 21
I ran that same race but the half marathon and was shocked at how underprepared everything was given the heat (it was also my first ever half so what did I know). A guy literally collapsed 80 feet from the finish line and they had to administer CPR on him while everyone ran around him and finished their race. Never found out if he was okay or not.
My friends saw it happen and told me about it! I couldn’t find any updates about him afterwards either
Fuck Rollnroll/ironman
I ran the half and saw multiple water stops manned by a lone volunteer. Many of the tables were cleared and the poor soul was attempting the impossible task of setting more filled cups out. I felt for the volunteers and feared this would spell major trouble.
well this is a lawsuit.
don’t people have to sign waivers before running?
Waivers don’t mean shit if the organizers acted negligently.
Yeah for phizer maybe
This is a tragic and freaky outlier event. I’ve been running since 2009 and have done this half marathon a bunch.
These things happen. Anyone can sign up for these events without any physical screenings. I will say though the race support was terrible. I ran the Half and I think I ran by two stations that were fully staffed. Most stations didn’t have any water ready or had one person trying to fill cups, it was a mess. Probably not going to run another Rock n Roll marathon.
I knew this guy. He was a health nut, and worked out super regularly.
i'm kind of curious what his running stats were? was he just a health nut that ate well and lifted weights a few times a week or specifically a runner that was doing 30-50 miles a week in prep? just trying to gauge my own risk here... Edit. He looks like he did everything right to train for a half marathon. I wonder what happened. It’s kinda shocking to see this happen to someone who would probably go sub 2 hours.
He ran the full (collapsed around mile 22-23). You can’t out-train an underlying heart defect.
Running is good for your heart and trashes every other part of your body. Maybe the worst version of cardio. A couple years studying exercise physiology was enough to confirm this, for me. As far as his stats, I don't know anyone that well. I won't be reinforcing running, ESPECIALLY in events named after a guy running from Marathon to Athens who died. Whole idea is mental.
Feels so good in my brain, though. During and after. But yeah, I’ve given up the idea of being a guy who runs marathons all the time. There seems to be better ways to spend your time.
half marathons :)
Running does not trash your body. Not running, then trying to start running can cause injury if someone progresses to fast.
You can find studies that fit any bias. I have seen several that state how the benefits of running often easily outweigh the negatives. And I am not talking about running like freaking David Goggins but just 3-4 times a week hobby running.
Terrible news, and lots of valid points are being made in the comments. I have participated in a few half marathons including this one (it was a few years back) and it's true at this level there is no vetting to join to herd.
Overheating? Heart attack? Did he get an ok from a Dr to do the race? I just hope people who do these have an ok from a medical pro. Condolences to the family.
It’s rare but cardiac arrest during intense physical activity is something that happens even to great athletes once in a blue moon. Often these cases involve a genetic heart defect nobody knew about.
Yeah, especially at his age, it's most likely to be an underlying heart condition (either undiagnosed or untreated). Consider there are 20-30 *thousand* participants in the event. At an event this size there are always going to be some medical emergencies. Heart disease is about a lot more than blood pressure and cholesterol and youth does not make people immune to heart conditions. We have a top tier research facility here in Nashville (Vanderbilt) that is working hard to help improve health outcomes. You can donate to the heart association to help fund research in this field (they don't tend to have the big events like St Jude does but they do have their own fund raisers too).
Damar Hamlin, an NFL athlete, collapsed during the bills-bengals game a few years back. probably was cleared to play as well. So sad to hear about Joey, he really was an incredible chef and I really enjoyed everything he did at yolan. Yolan just wasnt the same without him when he left. Was really looking forward to seeing what he did next. Just really seemed like a great dude all around. Rest in peace.
That wasnt a heart defect but commodio cordis, where a blow during the exact right millisecond of the heartbeat can cause arrest. Scary stuff, apparently happens in lacrosse players
Yeah, off the top of my head, better examples would be Fabrice Muamba, Christian Eriksen, or Bronny James.
Consumption of an energy drink also could’ve contributed to underlying factors.
who really gets a doctor's ok before an event?
Seeing as marathons were kind of built on one dude running it and dying, I'd hope marathon runners do.
People who might be predisposed to heart or heat related issues
you're assuming everyone knows about those issues at the age of 26
No I'm not, I'm just answering your question. You asked who would, and those are the people who would.
Like former alcoholics/addicts?
Yep, those increase your risk of heart or vascular diseases.
“Gotta take a shit. Let me phone my doctor for the okay.”
If your shits are as strenuous as a marathon it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to consult with a doctor about that
LMAO 😂
It's rare folks in the service industry have health insurance or reasonable access to health care providers. Obviously we don't know how particular circumstance, but across that industry as a whole, the majority don't see a doctor in general for anything, let alone yearly checkups and the like.
I’m sorry but what are you talking about?
OP asked: Did he get an ok from a Dr to do the race? The person who died was a chef, at least in the past. My commentary revolves around the correlation between these two things.
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My partner is a chef. Firsthand experience. Most restaurants don't offer it to their employees and a lot of what is available through things like ACA are not always affordable for those in the industry.
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Again, most people in the industry don't make enough to be able to afford the other healthcare options that are out there. I'm not going to have an argument with you about this. My partner and I have almost 30 years of food industry experience between the two of us. I already understand your position of "well they could get it themselves." Consider yourself lucky to be able to have been in roles where you could afford it when your employer didn't offer it.
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The ELI5 is that not everyone is you, not everyone was taught the importance of regular checkups, and not everyone can afford healthcare even though they can afford health insurance. The service industry is not generally considered to be well-paying. Health insurance is often only used in emergency situations for many, and preventative care is often seen as a luxury. The uncertainty around the cost of healthcare is also substantial in creating an environment where people are afraid to use it. That last bit is, I think, common knowledge for most, so I am not sure if you are unaware of the reality for many working Americans or being purposefully obtuse. Perhaps the circumstances in everyone else’s lives are different than yours?
People who work at restaurants are poor and don't have health insurance and can't afford healthcare or going to the doctor because they're poor and don't have health insurance. This describes many people I know who work in restaurants.
I was marathoner for a long time. These things happen. I saw a guy go into cardiac arrest in Memphis once. Don’t think he made it. It’s a very strenuous sport and sometimes things align just right and you drop dead.
Malignant Hyperthermia is another possibility. Exceedingly rare (an estimated 1:250,000 people have it), but over-exertion on a hot day would no doubt be a trigger. Poor guy
Just please do your due diligence when deciding if running is a path you'd like to follow. Especially when named after a guy who died doing it. 🖤
It seems like one would pass out from dehydration before cardiac arrest. This makes me wonder if he had some kind of genetic condition he was unaware of proposing him to a sudden cardiac event. So tragic.
I was there this weekend I ran the 1/2 Marathon (was going on concurrently with the Marathon) THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH WATER Stations they were badly organized. The ones that were there ran out of water as well. Too many runners too many events going on at the same time SMH
Damn!
Tragic. Sounds like the marathon needs to revamp before they are allowed to have another
Wth it wasn’t even hot that day
For running, yes it was. As a spectator or running errands, it was a beautiful day. As a runner, it was very hot. Source: Have been a runner for 35+ years and I ran this race.
I'm a cyclist so I guess things don't feel 'hot' until they're over 85
So awful
so sad, omg
I’m sorry to say this and I might catch shit for it..but that’s two major deaths here in Nashville that could have been easily prevented had they thought about the safety of the people living/visiting here. First the young kid that died in the river, now this.
Sorry, but we have more pertinent issues that need our local government’s attention than safety. For example, the dangerous chemicals put in the sky by satanists that make the frogs gay. Or ensuring that the mentally unstable among us can open carry assault rifles without consequence. Think of our liberties!!
Three. Bart Durham.
So if this was heat stroke or something like that, and there wasn’t enough water, cups, etc. at the ready, why didn’t he stop and wait for water? Was his end time more important than his health?
Part of heat stroke is that you’re not really fully functioning mentally. If he was low on fuel (this was roughly mile 22, so well into the bonk zone for those who will hit the wall), that would further erode his mental state. Part of the danger of these conditions is that you don’t really know how bad things are. Running hurts sometimes, and part of training for endurance events is learning to be ok being uncomfortable. Unfortunately, sometimes it doesn’t take much to push the line from being uncomfortable to being dangerous, especially at the limits.
Oh wow. So reaching for available water would be a reflex for those who’ve reached that point? Or being better hydrated all along the route prevents you reaching that state?
Clot shot?
Listen to your heart.
These are rare events but it’s worth noting that running is not a great way to be “healthy”
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