Skip to main content

Runner in His 60s Dies at 10 km Race in Iwate In Hot and Humid Conditions

At the Takuboku Fureai Road Race in Morioka, Iwate on Sept. 10, a runner in his 60s collapsed midway through the 10 km race and died. The man was reported to have collapsed at a drink table 8.5 km into the race at around 11:15 a.m. Conditions at the race were hot and humid, and a large number of people dropped out. Although he was immediately treated with an AED and given CPR, the man was taken to the hospital under cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead.

At 10:00 a.m. on the day of the race, the temperature in Morioka was 29.5˚ with 77% humidity. In nearby Koma, the heat index, a measurement used in guidelines for preventing heatstroke, was 29.5, placing the area under a risk level of "high" with the guidelines warning people to avoid strenuous exercise.

A total of 1743 people started in the Takuboku Fureai Road Race, which featured divisions from 3 km to half marathon. Over 400 people dropped out midway due to the effects of the heat, and being unable to meet the checkpoint cutoff times. The race was called off around 11:30 a.m. Morioka Municipal Sports Bureau director Gen Hakoishi commented, "A lot of people were dropping out, so with the runners' safety in mind we made the decision to stop the race midway."

Asked for guidance on steps the average runner can take to avoid the risk of heat stroke, Prof. Tatsuya Kamihama of the Iwate University Department of Health and Physical Education said, "As the temperature increases, if you are not feeling well in any way the importance of not pushing yourself also increases." Prof. Kamihama also stressed the importance of hydration and being informed pre-race. "You sweat more than you would expect, so be sure to hydrate properly during the hour or two before you run. Get informed about the conditions and steps to take, and do more than what you think is necessary."

With record-breaking heat on the books throughout 2023, taking steps to mitigate the risk of heat stroke while running is more important that ever.

source article:
translated and edited by Brett Larner
photo © 2020 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

Buy Me A Coffee


Labels:

Comments

Stefan said…
The Sydney Marathon is on this Sunday and the forecast temperature is in the 30 degree area. Those that finish quickly might avoid the very oppressive heat but those that take around 4 hours or so might suffer. Add in potential poor air quality due to back burning activities and we have a recipe for disaster. I hope the runners take the necessary steps to ensure their safety and prioritize health. It is such a shame the weather has turned so quickly here. I ran a test half marathon last Sunday and it was only 3 degrees at 5am! What a difference a week makes!
September 15, 2023 at 5:01 AM
Post a Comment

Most-Read This Week

2026 Tokyo Marathon Elite Field

The Mar. 1 Tokyo Marathon has great fields this year, so let's get right to it. The women's field has 3 of last year's top 10, winner for the 2nd year in a row and Tokyo CR holder Sutume Asefa Kebede , 3rd-placer and 2025 Chicago winner Hawi Feysa , and 5th-placer and 2025 Berlin winner Rosemary Wanjiru , plus 2024 Valencia winner Megertu Alemu , 2025 Prague winner Bertukan Welde , 2024 Paris winner Mestawut Fikir , 2024 Osaka winner Waganesh Mekasha , former WR holder Brigid Kosgei , and a lot more. Japanese hopes pretty much go to all-time #7 Ai Hosoda , 2:20:31 in Berlin 2024 but who announced this month that she is retiring after Tokyo despite having qualified for the 2028 Olympic marathon trials with her 2:23:27 for 6th in Sydney last year. Other internationals include Canadian Malindi Elmore , American Sara Hall , a big Chinese group led by Yuyu Xia , Poland's Aleksandra Brzezińska and Australian Vanessa Wilson . The men's race has 5 of last year's top 1...
4 comments
Read more

Measuring Marathon Courses by Bicycle

http://news.searchina.ne.jp/disp.cgi?y=2013&d=0110&f=column_0110_034.shtml translated by Brett Larner The full marathon is a sport where you compete over 42.195 km, but how do they go about measuring that distance?  Today we're going to look a little bit at how they go about certifying the distance of a marathon. The reality is that major international marathons use a bicycle to measure the distance.  This rule is an international standard, and the same method of measurement is used everywhere.  It was put into place in 1986.  In order to ensure that the same method is used everywhere, a bicycle that meets IAAF specifications must be used for measurement. In the case of Japan's major marathons, to be certain that the distance is correct a provisional measurement is first made.  Before the course is certified using a bicycle the course is measured using a 50 m-long length of wire to determine that it is in fact 42.195 km.  When a bicycle is u...
2 comments
Read more

Ai Hosoda Announces Retirement

photo © 2025 Victah Sailer/Photo Run, all rights reserved On Jan. 8 the Edion women's corporate team announced that Ai Hosoda , 30, will retire at the end of March this year. The Tokyo Marathon will be her last race. At Nagano Higashi H.S. Hosoda ran in the National High School Ekiden her 2nd and 3rd years. During her 3rd year at Nittai University she won both the 5000 m and 10000 m at the Kanto Region University Track and Field Championships, going on to win the bronze medal in the 10000 m at the World University Games in her 4th year at Nittai. After graduating she joined the Daihatsu corporate team, debuting at the 2019 Nagoya Women's Marathon in 2:29:27. 2 years later she transferred to Edion. She qualified for the Paris Olympics marathon trials at the 2022 Nagoya Women's Marathon and finished 3rd in the trials in the fall of 2023, but was later bumped down to Olympic alternate after another athlete ran a faster time. Instead of the Olympics, Hosoda ran the 2024 Ber...
2 comments
Read more