Marathon enhances medical facilities

The Shanghai Municipal Sports Bureau plans to have three medical stations and three ambulances standing by every five kilometers along the route of the upcoming 2012 Shanghai International Marathon, local media reported Wednesday.

The bureau acknowledged that it decided to carry out the measures due to safety concerns following the death of a 21-year-old university student Sunday at the Guangzhou Marathon 2012 in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, according to a report in the Xinmin Evening News. The student collapsed as he made a final dash toward the finish line. He later died at a hospital due to complications from organ failure.

The Shanghai sports bureau, which is organizing the 17th annual marathon in the city, began sending out text messages Tuesday that reminded runners not push their bodies to extremes if they have a cold or other ailment, according to the report.

"To ensure that all of the runners are physically fit to run in the race, they are required to show that they have had a medical checkup when they register," said a staff member surnamed Tang in the registration office.

From a medical perspective, it is not unusual for someone to die unexpectedly from heart failure during activities far less strenuous than a marathon, said Ruan Jing, a cardiologist at Shanghai North Station Hospital.

"Heart problems are not difficult to identify during a checkup," she told the Global Times. "The problem is that young people may ignore minor heart problems that can lead to death during sports."

Ruan added that the ambulances and medical stations will help ensure that runners receive timely first aid if an emergency occurs during the race.

The 2012 Shanghai International Marathon has attracted 29,800 runners, including 5,000 foreign participants from 70 countries and regions, according to the Shanghai Municipal Sports Bureau's official microblog. The number is up 19 percent from last year.

The first-place male and female marathon runners will each receive a $45,000 prize. The race will start at 7 am December 2 from Chen Yi Square on the Bund.