A runner died at the Brooklyn Half Marathon finish line, and 16 were brought to area hospitals, with five experiencing serious injuries.
The 30-year-old man collapsed after crossing the finish line. He was transported to Coney Island Hospital and pronounced dead. According to NYPD, he may have suffered from cardiac arrest.
This year, the race took place amid unseasonably warm temperatures. The New York Post reports that the temperature at 9 a.m. in Coney Island was already 70 degrees. Humidity was at 83 percent.
“Maybe an organizer or health official should have called it,” a police officer told the outlet.
The race saw 22,000 people travel from the Brooklyn Museum to the Coney Island boardwalk. It was the first time the event had been run in person since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The health and safety of our runners, volunteers, partners, and staff remain the top priority for NYRR. In coordination and consultation with the city agency partners and weather experts, NYRR was closely monitoring weather conditions leading up to and during the race,” New York Road Runners said in a statement.
