The Best Place for CPR Teams During Marathons

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine concludes that runners are no more likely to suffer cardiac arrests during marathons than they are performing any other physical activity. Those who had cardiac events during races were more likely to survive if CPR was administered.

The Boston Marathon has 28 medical tents, roving teams of volunteers with portable defibrillators every half-mile, and is now training runners and spectators in basic CPR during the marathon expo.

As someone who has both run marathons and suffered a heart attack – though not at the same time – I’m glad all these safety measures are in place. I just find it strangely amusing to have all these precautions for healthy people who are surrounded by thousands of onlookers. Every single one of those marathoners is at much more risk of dying while out alone during an early morning training run than during a race. And while you don’t run with a defibrillator (although I did for a short time), you should at least have a cell phone, road ID, and a list of medications and allergies when you run. I like running through lonely, deserted areas more than most people do, but you are at greater risk if something bad happens.

I didn’t require a CPR team, but the best place for one would have been my living room. I ran 5k the day before my heart attack, and swam laps that morning. The heart attack hit while I was moving furniture – a cat condo, to be exact.

Statistically, I’d be more interested in a study that compares cardiac events during a marathon with cardiac events in similarly sized, non-athletic crowds in one place for a similar amount of time – say, the spectators at a football game or rock concert. My non-scientific sample indicates you’re as likely to die from a heart attack while attending a Patriots game as you are while running the Boston Marathon.