PACE – Rediscover Your Natural Fitness by Dr Al Sears
In October 2009 three men described as “healthy” died while running a half-marathon (13.1 miles) in Detroit. Although age may have been a factor in the death of Rick Brown who was 65, Daniel Langdon was 36 — and Jonathan Fenlon was only 26.
Earlier in October, two men in their thirties died running a half-marathon in San Jose California. In September a 23 year old man died while competing in a half-marathon in Virginia Beach Virginia.
That’s six deaths within just two months. And they were running half-marathons, not even the more grueling full-length marathon distance of 26.2 miles.
Of course, the most famous running death belongs to Jim Fixx author of THE COMPLETE BOOK OF RUNNING. He was one of the people who popularized the sport back in the late 1970s. He died of a heart attack while on a training run in 1984.
I’m not sure who spread the “factoid” that…