Medical Complaints Following a Marathon Run in Cool Weather

Abstract : Medical records were maintained on every runner requesting medical attention following the Bostonfest Marathon, run October 30, 1983. The weather race day was cool and sunny with an average dry-bulb temp of 9.6 deg C, and average wet-bulb-globe temp of 7.9 deg C. One hundred and sixty-four (11.5 percent) of the runners finishing the race requested medical attention at the finish line. Another 37 casualties were treated on the course. Men and women requested attention with equal frequency, while the younger (20 to 30 years old) and faster (sub-3-hour) runners sought medical attention more often than the older (30 years and over) and slower (over-3-hour) runners counterparts. The complaints and symptoms of runners following this cool weather marathon were similar to those of runners following hot weather races with the exception that no one complained of feeling 'hot'. These data suggest that numerous medical complaints can be expected following a marathon, even in cool weather.