Experts speculate on cause of Lee's death

While the cause of death is still unknown for a 21-year-old Penn student who ran a half marathon, many have speculated on what may have led to the tragedy.

Wharton and Nursing senior Jeffrey Lee collapsed at the Philadelphia Half Marathon’s finish line the morning of Nov. 20. Lauren DeRitis, Referral Development manager for the Rothman Institute — who provides medical care to marathon runners — explained that it is very rare for someone Lee’s age to die. She said Lee “didn’t even hit the ground” before medical personnel were on the scene and rushed him to the hospital, adding that marathon organizers did all they could to help the young Penn student.

According to Philadelphia Marathon spokesperson Susan Hamilton, this is the first death in the half marathon’s history. She added that, until Lee’s medical reports are published, it is impossible to assess why this year’s race saw a fatality.

The longer Philadelphia Marathon saw another death as well. Forty-year-old Chris Gleason of Clifton Park, NY died about a quarter mile from the end of the 26-mile race.

The last person to die at the full Philadelphia Marathon was in 1997.

Bryn Mawr-based cardiologist Francis Day told NBC Philadelphia that Lee may have died from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an abnormal thickening of the heart muscle that can be caught on an electrocardiogram, which measures the electrical activity of the heart. Day also suggested the adrenaline rush might also have contributed to Lee’s collapse.

New York-based doctor Lewis Maharam — known as the “Running Doctor” on his exercise-centered blog RunningDoc.com — wrote in the New York Daily News that being over-hydrated or over-caffeinated can also cause sudden cardiac arrest.

At Sunday’s half marathon, one participant out of 10,000 runners died. Hamilton pointed out that half marathons aren’t immediately comparable to full marathons due to the races’ differing lengths. However, there have been studies in the past linking marathons and death.

One such study, led by Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation researcher Barry Maron, observed 52 races over 29 years in Washington, D.C. Maron calculated an average rate of one in 50,000 participants who died due to cardiovascular disease after a marathon.

Another study, led by researchers Donald Redelmeier and Ari Greenwald, found an average of 0.8 in 100,000 who suffered from sudden cardiac death. The study also found that for every marathon participant who dies, 1.8 people are saved from dying in a car crash that could have occurred if the street weren’t closed off for a marathon.

While Day said performing electrocardiograms on all marathon participants is not cost effective, Maharam advises in his New York Daily News column that runners need to have annual physicals and be honest with their physicians about their level of physical activity.

SEE ALSO

Penn senior dies at Philadelphia Marathon
Jeffrey Lee remembered for faith, smile

This story has been updated to reflect that the Philadelphia Marathon was 26-mile race, not a 26-kilometer race.

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