Disturbing scene at the Montreal Marathon: The eventual winner of the main race was preparing to cross the finish line when, a few meters away, a man who had just completed the half marathon needed heart massage.
• Also read: Felex Cheruiyot Rop wins the Beneva Montreal Marathon
Despite somewhat heavier traffic at the time on the Olympic Park esplanade, the medical team was able to intervene very quickly.
The evacuation was nearing completion when Kenyan marathon champion Felex Cheruiyot Rop finished his race after 2 hours 23 minutes and 20 seconds.
The smell of victory inevitably mingled with a feeling of concern among the various witnesses. A man then found himself between life and death.
Medical review
Later on Sunday, the Beneva Montreal Marathon organization will take stock of the event, including the medical assessment.
According to our observations, at least one other runner suffered a cardiac arrest during the day on Sunday.
The weather seemed perfect for the day, but by late afternoon the sun was starting to set a little.
“For the marathon and half marathon we are talking about 12,000 runners who took part and we had a great day,” said delegate producer Alex Ratthé on Sunday morning. We are able to respond quickly to emergency calls anywhere along the route. We work with professional and experienced people. »
Always a risk
It is difficult, if not impossible, to avoid the risk of death while running a marathon. Heart attacks and resuscitation occur.
In 2019, the event in Montreal was also marked by the death of a runner who was just 24 years old. The coroner also came to the conclusion that there were failures in the effectiveness of a rapid response, but the organization of the marathon has since changed hands.