Medical tents keep marathon runners out of the danger zone 

Chennai Marathon requires meticulous medical preparation to handle emergencies, from minor injuries to life-threatening conditions, for all participants.

A marathon is not a run in the park, it comes with its levels of difficulty for the athletes, but also for the organisers. A great deal of preparation is required to iron out the logistics. During the race, medical management is the only thing that stands between euphoria and a possible tragedy.

Over 25,000 runners laced up at 3 a.m. for the Chennai Marathon, hosted by Chennai Runners on Sunday. There were many first-timers amongst this number who took the 10 km route from Napier Bridge. Seasoned runners tackled the half marathon and the full 42 km run, concluding at the Indian Maritime University (IMU) on East Coast Road. But between the adrenaline and the cheers, there were a few incidents, which were handled by race medical director Lakshmi Sundar and her squad of first responders and doctors spread across all 8 zones the run covered.

Dr. Sundar said that the medical team had prepared for various levels of health support, with some zones focusing on minor issues that were treated with ice packs and foot elevation, and some on non-critical care too, the third level was emergency life support. On reaching the Indian Maritime University, the medical team dealt with the kind of emergencies that accompany long-distance running, such as hyperthermia (elevated body temperature) and hyponatremia (low sodium levels).

Dr Sundar identified a case involving severe hyperthermia. A runner who had completed her race was brought to the tent showing signs of disorientation. The medical team immersed her in a complete ice water bath, leaving her head exposed outside the tub, to cool her core temperature. Once stabilised, she was transferred to an emergency bed, dried off and left the venue an hour later.

The medical tent at IMU was equipped with critical care and non critical care beds, buckets of ice, and an ice water bath, alongside doctors with an AED defibrillator. Other incidents on the day included runners who fell on the Adyar Bridge and suffered open wounds that were treated at the tent. Another runner who felt discomfort abandoned the race and was monitored using an ECG. There were many cases of cramping, but with buckets of ice, they were able to get back on the road. The first responders also provided salt to runners in the tent who were experiencing dizziness due to dropping levels of sodium in the blood.

The doctors observed that participants in the 10 km run, many of whom were new to running, experienced mostly minor injuries. This was partly because of the lack of preparation — some runners hadn’t eaten properly before the race, while others overhydrated. Doctors attending to the initial zones of the 10 km run, including assistant race medical director Erika Patel and lead doctor Tamil Anbu, treated cases of nausea, sprain, ankle inflammation, and falls.