On Sunday, a 32-year-old runner collapsed and died suddenly from a heart attack a few hundred meters from the end of the popular 13-mile Satara Hill half marathon, the Times of India reported.
Raj Kantilal Patel, a father of a six-month-old girl, collapsed near Parange Chowk, about 250 meters from the Finish line.
“After he collapsed, the marathon organizers immediately took Patel to a hospital, where he was declared dead. We have registered a case of accidental death, and an investigation into the incident is on,” authorities said.
Click ‘view’ to watch the video below:
A 32-year-old runner died of a heart attack while he was just a couple of hundred metres away from the finish line of the popular 21.1-km Satara Hill half marathon on Sunday. #Satara #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/T9R67Y4By9
— TOI Pune (@TOIPune) September 19, 2022
“We had heard about deaths happening in other Marathons all over the World,” SHHM said in a statement. “Our course being a hilly one, we always took extra care to make sure that we had the proper system in place to ensure the safety of runners in case of an emergency.”
“The runner (Raj Patel from Kolhapur) had collapsed near Parange Chowk, about 250 meters from the Finish line. Fortunately, a cardiac ambulance was stationed right at the spot [where] he fell,” the post stated.
“The volunteers at the spot tried their best to revive him & quickly put him inside the ambulance within a couple of minutes, which then sped away to the designated medical center. However, all efforts to resuscitate him went in vain & we lost this bright young runner in the prime of his life. We are still grappling to come to terms with this sudden bolt from the blue. One can only imagine what his family & friends must be going through.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved family. All runners are a family. We have lost one of us. May the departed soul rest in peace. You went too soon dear Raj. We will miss you forever…” the post concluded.
It was mentioned by one of the organizers that Patel was a professional badminton player on the international stage and a highly skilled athlete.
Patel had also competed in multiple marathons and won, the most recent one being the Goa Marathon, according to the Times of India.
The Satara Hill Half Marathon (SHHM) is the Ultra Half Marathon held annually in the historic city of Satara, India, and holds the GUINNESS WORLD RECORD for the ‘Most People in a Single Mountain Run.’
In 2021, only those who have received both doses of the COVID immunization will be eligible to register for SHHM. For this year’s 11th edition, it is not clear if the organization still requires proof of COVID vaccination.
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