30-Year-Old Runner Dies at Brooklyn Half Marathon Finish Line, per FDNY

Mary Ellen Cagnassola
·2 min read
1
mile race sponsored by the Royal Bank of Canada and with some streets closures. The winners are Men: Teshome Asfaha, New York, NY – 1:01:47. Women: Lily Anderson, Wilmington, DE – 1:18:00. .Credit: Niyi Fote/Thenews2. 21 May 2022 Pictured: mile race sponsored by the Royal Bank of Canada and with some streets closures. The winners are Men: Teshome Asfaha, New York, NY – 1:01:47. Women: Lily Anderson, Wilmington, DE – 1:18:00. .Credit: Niyi Fote/Thenews2. Photo credit: ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342

ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA

More than a dozen hospitalizations were reported at the Brooklyn Half Marathon on Saturday morning, including one runner who collapsed and died at the finish line, officials said.

The New York City Fire Department confirmed to PEOPLE on Saturday that 16 participants were transported to local hospitals, five of which were considered in serious condition and one who was pronounced dead.

No cause of death was identified for the runner, a 30-year-old man who was pronounced dead at Coney Island Hospital, according to race organizers.

Organized by New York Road Runners, a nonprofit dedicated to raising money for charity with its races, the Brooklyn Half Marathon is more than 13 miles from Prospect Park to Coney Island.

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"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," NYRR spokesperson Trina Singian told PEOPLE in a statement.

"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," the statement continued.

NYRR said the runner who died was immediately attended to by on-site medical staff after collapsing shortly before 10 a.m. local time. The organization said it places medical staff throughout the half marathon route, and that runners who need further medical care are transported to the appropriate facilities.

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This year, temperatures reached as high as 90 degrees in the afternoon, creating unusually hot and dangerous conditions for this time of year. Moderate air quality alerts were also issued for parts of Brooklyn due to air pollution.

However, the NYRR told PEOPLE that weather temperatures hovered around the low 60s to high 70s during the race.