ReviewMedical problems of marathon runners
Introduction
In the United States, there are now approximately 375 marathons and in 2002 approximately 450 000 participants completed one. The largest US marathons now have more than 30 000 participants, with women constituting 40% of the field and runners older than 40 years (masters), 43%. The median finishing time is now 4 hours and 20 minutes for men and 4 hours 56 minutes for women [1]. Of marathon participants, 2% to 8% will seek medical attention during or immediately after completing the race [2], [3].
In cities that host one of the large marathons, marathon day can seem a preplanned mass casualty incident for the event medical tents and nearby EDs. The rigors of training and the stress of the race itself place great demands on the marathoner and frequent runner. We will discuss problems that can affect marathoners during and immediately after the race.
Section snippets
Musculoskeletal
While running, the repetitive impact of each foot strike transmits forces to the body estimated to be 2 to 3 times the body weight of the runner [4]. During a 12-year period at the Twin Cities marathon, musculoskeletal problems accounted for 17% of visits [3], most commonly, muscle cramps, blisters, and acute ankle and knee injuries [5]. Most of these complaints are addressed at the race medical tents. Knee injuries are more common in road racing, and ankle injuries predominate in track races
Conclusions
Most of the abnormalities present in the immediate postmarathon period are related to the event itself and resolve after a few days of rest. Testing asymptomatic patients during this period with several screening examinations may precipitate unnecessary workups for laboratory abnormalities such as for GI bleeding or hematuria. Testing in the immediate postrace period should be done with a specific question in mind and the understanding of how the endurance event can affect laboratory
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This article has not been published previously and is not being submitted elsewhere. The manuscript is the original work of the authors and there are no conflicts of interest to disclose.