A 45-year-old runner collapsed as she was participating in a mini marathon, being held in the northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom on Sunday. She subsequently died.
Working as a nurse at Tao Ngoi Hospital in Sakhon Nakhon, the victim, whose identity has been withheld, and a group of colleagues joined the 20-km mini-marathon along the banks of the Mekong River.
After having covered a distance of about 18km, she collapsed. EMTs from Nakhon Phanom Hospital immediately rushed to the scene and administered CPR, while rushing her to the hospital in an ambulance.
Doctors at the hospital said she had died of suspected sudden heart failure.
The victim’s husband, who is a police officer, later said that his late wife had suffered from a thyroid condition and might not have had enough rest the night before the run.
Sub-Lt Rueyrung Kraiboot, the deputy governor, said the event organisers had arranged a medical team to look after the runners, adding that, for similar events in the future, the organisers should be more stringent in checking the health of the runners.
According to the Diseases Control Department, most fatalities among marathon runners occur during the final stretch, among runners who are unaware that they are suffering from underlying diseases or have not taken medication regularly to treat their underlying diseases.
