Three men die during road races over weekend

Three men died running in major road races over the weekend.

At the London Marathon, Robert Barry collapsed at the finish line and was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. He was 42 years old and running to raise money for the National Osteoporosis Society.

“The organizers of the Virgin Money London Marathon would like to continue to express their sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mr Berry and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with them all at this difficult time,” reads a statement from marathon officials.

In Raleigh, N.C., two runners, ages 35 and 31, died competing in the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll half-marathon there.

All three men are suspected to have died of cardiac-related causes, which is an inherent risk involved in running events, albeit very low risk.

Although deaths do occur at large events occasionally, it is worth remembering the risk is very low. Nearly 36,000 runners completed the London Marathon on Sunday and 12,000 ran in the Rock ‘n’ Roll half-marathon in Raleigh. Also, many deaths like these are believed to be a result of previous, neglected heart complications.