Officials in New York City reported that a man who collapsed and died Saturday morning while crossing the finish line of the Brooklyn Half Marathon. The runner was shuttled to a local hospital, where he was declared dead, according to Frank Dwyer, spokesman for the fire department.
CBS New York reports that police have identified the runner as 32-year-old David Reichman of Brooklyn.
Unknown was the cause of the runner’s collapse, but a statement from the non-profit New York Road Runners noted that it occurred after the man completed the race.
“Our thoughts and sympathies are with the runner’s family and those close to them,” said spokesperson Trina Singian.
Singian stated that medical personnel were stationed from the beginning to the end of the race. Together with city agency officials and weather experts, the team monitored weather patterns prior to and during the race. Singian reported that the temperature ranged from the low 60s to the high 70s during the 7 a.m. race.
Saturday until 8 p.m., the entire city of New York was under a heat advisory warning that high heat and humidity could cause heat-related ailments. Temperatures surpassed 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26.7 degrees Celsius) as of midday in Brooklyn.
In the Saturday half-marathon, which reached full capacity for the first time in 3 years, over 22,000 runners were supposed to run from Prospect Park to the Coney Island boardwalk.
Saturday morning, according to the New York Fire Department, 16 individuals were taken to the hospital during the event. Five were in critical condition, eight had injuries that were not life-threatening, and four had minor injuries.
