What did I say about heat?

Back on 9/2/07, I wrote an entry regarding heat. And now, we see the effects of heat and lack of effective planning. The Chicago Marathon occurred on a hot day (for Chicago), that was also humid. Races happen all the time in hot and humid weather. What made this different is that it appears that the race organizers did not adequately anticipate the consequences of so many runners needing to cool down. They had the equivalent of 1.8 million cups of water. Problem is, the runners used them to douse themselves as well as to drink. The water was near the end of the race, not interspersed along the route. The heat was anticipated. Adequate "all weather" planning is a must for large events such as this.

Over 250 people were transported to area hospitals. And yes, one runner died, although the autopsy showed that it was due to mitral valve prolapse, not heat. Heat obviously had something to do with his death, but it was a heart ailment that actually caused this man to die.

Eventually, race organizers shut the race down, after 3-1/2 hours. Did the runners all stop? NO. Many continued on, partly due to what I call "runners tunnel vision". They want to keep going, no matter what. This is expected during races. I treat athletes that want to continue even when I know darn well that they should not. And yes, I override them on occasion. And for good reason.

The paramedics and EMT's out there in Chicago performed incredibly well in the face of a LARGE MCI (Mass Casualty Incident) that played out over a large area. WAY TO GO!!!