TheJakartaPost
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Misconceptions, health myths contribute to sudden deaths in marathons
According to the secretary-general of running community Jakarta Berlari (Jakarta Running), Muhammad Nur Kamaluddin, five Indonesian runners have died in marathons since 2018. He revealed the community’s findings in a media briefing on Wednesday for the University of Indonesia’s (UI) School of Medicine annual marathon, KedokteRAN 2019.
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Marathon illustration. (Shutterstock/Pavel1964)
M
isconceptions regarding marathons are the primary cause of a rising number of sudden deaths among Indonesian runners, doctors and athletes have warned.
According to the secretary-general of running community Jakarta Berlari (Jakarta Running), Muhammad Nur Kamaluddin, five Indonesian runners have died in marathons since 2018. He revealed the community’s findings in a media briefing on Wednesday for the University of Indonesia’s (UI) School of Medicine annual marathon, KedokteRAN 2019.
The most recent deaths occurred in the 2019 Surabaya Marathon, where two participants collapsed and died before reaching the finish line. They were identified as Chusnun N. Djuraid, 60, and Dan Oentung P. Setiono, 55. Chusnun had reportedly been struggling with heart disease prior to his death.
Kamal said he was concerned about the recent spike in sudden deaths as Indonesia had been hosting more and more races each year.
“We saw a 33 percent in [marathon] from 2017 to 2018,” Kamal told The Jakarta Post, adding that the increase was to 341 marathons in 2018 from 288 in 2017.
“Before marathons became a trend, we only had one event every month. Now, there’s at least one marathon taking place every weekend.”
KedokteRAN2019 event committee chairman Jack Pradono Handojo said the deaths were largely the result of misconceptions surrounding marathons and what runners should or shouldn’t do to prepare for one.
