TORONTO (CUP) – A 42-year-old man competing in Sunday’s Toronto half-marathon collapsed moments after crossing the finish line.
He was pronounced dead at nearby Mt. Sinai hospital in downtown Toronto, where he was taken shortly after he collpased. Officials attempted to revive him on the spot, but were unsuccessful. He had no vital signs when he was lifted into the ambulance.
It took the ambulance over 15 minutes to arrive because of the number of downtown streets that were closed because of the marathon.
Officials had to wheel the man on a stretcher to an ambulance waiting on the edge of the event.
It’s the third death in the 11-year history of the race.
According to the Toronto Star, 42-year-old Scott Labron of Guelph collapsed and died last year, just minutes before crossing the finish line after competing in the half marathon.
Aurora businessman Bob Hartwell died while participating in the event in 2001.
