Heart Condition Blamed for Marathon Death

Cardiac malformation, not sweltering heat, felled Michigan cop
By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 8, 2007 4:27 PM CDT
Heart Condition Blamed for Marathon Death
Medical workers tend to race participants during the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, Oct. 7, 2007, in Chicago. Organizers shut down the course and diverted runners back to the finish area four hours after the start because of sweltering heat and humidity. (AP Photo/Jerry Lai)   (Associated Press)

The 35-year-old police officer who died during yesterday's Chicago Marathon succumbed to a pre-existing heart condition, not the record heat, his autopsy has revealed. Chad Schieber of Midland, Mich., suffered from mitral valve prolapse, the Chicago Tribune reports. The marathon was canceled after 3½ hours when high temperatures raised fears about the runners' safety.

Of the 315 runners taken from the course by ambulance, 25 remained hospitalized today, with nine in serious to critical condition. Reports of water shortages along the route stemmed from volunteers' inability to keep up with demand for refills as runners doused themselves with multiple cups of water, a marathon official said. (More Chicago Marathon stories.)

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