A 32-year-old runner collapsed and died suddenly from a heart attack a few hundred meters from the end of the popular 13-mile Satara Hill half marathon (SHHM) on Sunday.
According to the Times of India, the runner was an accomplished athlete who had competed and won multiple marathons, the most recent one being the Goa Marathon.
The Satara Hill Half Marathon is held annually in the historic city of Satara, India, and holds the GUINNESS WORLD RECORD for the ‘Most People in a Single Mountain Run.’
In 2021, only those who have received both doses of the Covid jab would have been eligible to register for the SHHM. It was not clear if the organization still requires proof of vaccination this year.
The Gateway Pundit reports: Raj Kantilal Patel, a father of a six-month-old girl, collapsed near Parange Chowk, about 250 meters from the Finish line.
“After he collapsed, the marathon organizers immediately took Patel to a hospital, where he was declared dead. We have registered a case of accidental death, and an investigation into the incident is on,” authorities said.
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We had heard about deaths happening in other Marathons all over the World,” SHHM said in a statement. “Our course being a hilly one, we always took extra care to make sure that we had the proper system in place to ensure the safety of runners in case of an emergency.”
“The runner (Raj Patel from Kolhapur) had collapsed near Parange Chowk, about 250 meters from the Finish line. Fortunately, a cardiac ambulance was stationed right at the spot [where] he fell,” the post stated.
“The volunteers at the spot tried their best to revive him & quickly put him inside the ambulance within a couple of minutes, which then sped away to the designated medical center. However, all efforts to resuscitate him went in vain & we lost this bright young runner in the prime of his life. We are still grappling to come to terms with this sudden bolt from the blue. One can only imagine what his family & friends must be going through.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved family. All runners are a family. We have lost one of us. May the departed soul rest in peace. You went too soon dear Raj. We will miss you forever…” the post concluded.