Runner suffers heart attack in Dubai Marathon, prompting calls for caution

Runners competing in the 10km race at the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon. Antonie Robertson/The National

DUBAI // Doctors have warned that people should train properly for endurance races after a runner's heart stopped for 20 minutes in the Dubai Marathon.

The man, 51, was about a tenth of the way around the 42-kilometre course on Friday when he suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed.

“He fell to the ground,” said Dr G Y Naroo, a specialist in emergency medicine at Rashid Hospital’s trauma centre. “There was no warning signs. He just fell.”

Paramedics spent 20 minutes performing CPR and gave the runner five electric shocks before they were able to resuscitate him.

Doctors are now warning that marathons are becoming just another event rather than a challenging physical test, and it is vital for participants to being training well in advance.

The marathon participant – an Indian expatriate with a previous clean bill of health and no family history of heart disease – had only run for fun with friends before the event and had not trained enough to take part, said Dr Naroo.

“He was not a competitive runner. He was a recreational runner,” said the Pakistani doctor, who is advising that runners should follow a marathon training schedule and be medically evaluated before.

The runner collapsed at the 4km mark and Dr Naroo said on-site paramedics arrived within two minutes and found the runner unconscious.

“There was no heartbeat and he was not breathing,” he said.

“After 20 minutes the man’s heartbeat came back but he was still not breathing.”

He was taken to Rashid Hospital’s trauma centre and placed on a ventilator in the intensive-care unit overnight. He regained consciousness on Saturday and is expected to make a full recovery.

He was one of several runners who required immediate medical attention at the annual event, in which more than 23,000 runners took part.

About 25 were taken to Rashid Hospital alone, said Dr Naroo, while many more were treated on the sidelines for muscle cramps and dehydration.

Taking part in a marathon takes months of preparation, he warned.

Those in training for the race should begin in advance and not increase the length or intensity of their workout by more than 10 per cent each week to avoid putting too much strain on the body.

Men over 35 should have a medical test before entering a marathon, Dr Naroo said.

Women – who are less prone to heart attacks because the oestrogen hormone protects them – should be tested after 50.

Warning signs of a heart attack during an endurance event include feeling off-balance and suffering pains and tightening of the chest, he said.

Dr Jairam Aithal, a specialist in cardiovascular disease at Abu Dhabi's Burjeel Hospital, said while running and exercise iwas crucial to heart health, the concern lies in pushing ourselves to distances without adequate training.

“Often people tend to push themselves too hard,” he said. “Adequate training is important for those taking part in a marathon.

“Most people who have trained and prepared end up successfully completing the marathon but for those that are not used to running, even 1km or 2km can leave you out of breath.

“Marathons have become a glorified event but it is not easy to do.”

Interval training – running for short and long distances in alternation – well in advance of a marathon helps to build up endurance and prepare the body for such an arduous challenge.

Those in pain during a marathon should consider withdrawing from the race, said Dr Aithal.

“There is no shame in not completing a marathon. It is a sign that you should stop.”