A 30-year-old man running the Brooklyn Half Marathon died after crossing the finish line Saturday morning, fire department and race officials said.
The runner was rushed to Coney Island Hospital after he collapsed from a cardiac arrest at the boardwalk finish line around 9 a.m., police said.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of a participant following the 2022 RBC Brooklyn Half. Our thoughts and sympathies are with the runner’s family and those close to them,” the New York Road Runners said in a statement.
The NYRR spokesperson said medical staff were on hand at the start and finish lines of the race to assist when necessary.
The city’s fire department said 17 runners reported varying injuries during the course of the race, 16 of which were transported to the hospital for treatment. Twelve of those runners were said to have minor or non-life-threatening injuries, the FDNY said.
Saturday’s death was the first for the Brooklyn race in eight years. In 2014, a 31-year-old runner died near the end of the half marathon after collapsing.
The 13.1-mile race returned in-person for the first time since the start of the pandemic, with the threat of a 90-degree scorcher looming over the runners. Temperatures during the race ranged from low 60s to high 70s, according to the NYRR.
Runners started early, at 7 a.m., and ran from the Brooklyn Museum down to the Coney Island boardwalk.
