VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — As the temperature jumped up into the 80s Sunday, racers at the annual Shamrock Marathon in were faced with unseasonably warm weather for the annual Virginia Beach race.
Sentara Health, which provided medical support for the race, reported that 12 people were treated for heat stroke - nine of which were taken to the hospital. This was unusually high for a race that is typically 20 or 30 degrees cooler.
J & A Racing, which hosts the event, said they took numerous precautions to ensure the safety and well being of the more than 24,000 participants.
They were monitoring the weather in advance and sent out tips to racers, such as hyper-hydrating before the race, pre-cooling your body, recommendations for clothing, and adjusting race pace. They also had Coastal Medical and Virginia Beach EMS crews on site to monitor racers and respond to any issues.
Megan Pathoomvanh, an athletic trainer with Sentara Health, told News 3's Erin Miller Monday that people suffering from heat stroke may not always know it.
"The patients themselves might not actually be able to look out for these things, but it's just the folks around them," Panthoomvanh said. "If they're unsteady, you know... you obviously just ran 13-26.2 miles, right?"
There are clear warning signs to look out for if you see someone who might be getting heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
"Are they cognitively alert? Do they seem like themselves? Are they acting irrationally?" Panthoomvanh said.
Panthoomanh says in addition to looking for the signs, keeping yourself hydrated and replenishing your electrolytes are all key to staying safe when getting active in high temps.
