Marathon Deaths

Officials claim it was a fluke that three people (a 26-year-old half-marathon runner, and a 36-year-old and 65-year-old) running in yesterday's Detroit Marathon died. All three people, all men, were reportedly experienced runners.

What doesn't seem to be in question is that running a marathon puts the heart in extreme stress and that research shows this can be the equivalent of having a mild heart attack.

Statistically, according to www.livescience.com, somewhere between 1-in-50,000 and 1-in-75,000 people who finish a marathon will die from it. So three deaths at an event with 19,000 registered runners is higher than normal but not considered off the charts.

But the event has spawned questions about how running such a long distance can affect the heart.

Running a marathon can trigger heart attacks because the increased exertion raises a person's heart rate, which boosts the heart's blood demand, according to livescience.com. If there is any blockage to the arteries, they can't accommodate this increase in blood flow, and the heart can't get enough blood, causing a heart attack.

Officials question whether those who die running a marathon may have an underlying heart condition.

The New York Times recently examined the subject of marathon running and its connection to an elevated heart risk. A number of studies showed that after running a marathon, blood markers of heart damage were elevated. In one study, runners who finished a marathon had blood profiles "similar to those in a very mild heart attack.”

It was noted that those who train properly for marathon running are less likely to have a heart problem, although one study contradicted that finding.

The idea, perhaps, is to use common sense.

"In the long run it's more dangerous to be sedentary than it is to be regularly physically active," a University of Minnesota doctor said. "It's people who don’t do anything except walk to the refrigerator who are the ones that are at the most risk [of heart disease]."

If you read message boards and blog posts, "health running" stops at 8 to 10k. After that, it's about "heart" and "ego", according to one blogger.