A 57-year-old man collapsed and died Sunday during the Canada portion of the 2024 Detroit Free Press Marathon, according to race officials.
The incident occurred near the fifth mile of the 26.2-mile event, which begins and ends in downtown Detroit. The course takes runners across the Ambassador Bridge into Canada and back through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.
The runner was taken to Windsor Regional Hospital’s Ouellette Campus, where he was pronounced dead. His identity and hometown have not yet been released.
“We extend our condolences to his family. This is a deeply sad time for us,” said Race Director Aaron Velthoven.
While medical emergencies during marathons are uncommon, they do occur. The event’s only other fatalities occurred in 2009, when three men collapsed and died during the half-marathon, and in 1994, when a 42-year-old man suffered a heart attack.
Henry Ford Health, the race’s medical provider, reported eight medical transports during this year’s event, including two critical cases, one of which involved the deceased runner .
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