1 runner dead, 4 others in comas after half-marathon
JERUSALEM (AP) - An Israeli soldier died of a heat stroke Friday after completing a half-marathon in Tel Aviv, prompting Israel's minister of public security to criticize organizers for allowing the race to take place during a heat wave.
The soldier collapsed and was rushed to a hospital, but medics were unable to resuscitate him, said rescue services spokesman Zaki Heller. The race was run in temperatures around 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit).
The military identified the dead soldier as Sgt. Michael Michalevitch, 29, who served in the military's canine special forces.
Four other runners who collapsed from the heat were put in medically induced comas and are on respirators at a Tel Aviv hospital, Heller said. In total, medics treated more than 50 runners at the race, he said.
Yitzhak Aharonovich, Israel's public security minister, said on Israel Radio that the incident was "very serious" and suggested that race organizers could be held responsible for not cancelling the race after heat was predicted.
The Tel Aviv municipality expressed regret over the death of the runner but defended its actions, saying it had followed the instructions of health officials. It postponed the full marathon of 42.2 kilometers (26.2 miles) initially scheduled for Friday in anticipation of the heat wave, and started the half-marathon of 21.1 kilometers (13.1 miles) earlier in the morning to avoid the hottest temperatures.
The municipality said in a statement that when the runner died, Israel's national weather service had reported only a light heat wave.
The soldier collapsed and was rushed to a hospital, but medics were unable to resuscitate him, said rescue services spokesman Zaki Heller. The race was run in temperatures around 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit).
The military identified the dead soldier as Sgt. Michael Michalevitch, 29, who served in the military's canine special forces.
Four other runners who collapsed from the heat were put in medically induced comas and are on respirators at a Tel Aviv hospital, Heller said. In total, medics treated more than 50 runners at the race, he said.
Yitzhak Aharonovich, Israel's public security minister, said on Israel Radio that the incident was "very serious" and suggested that race organizers could be held responsible for not cancelling the race after heat was predicted.
The Tel Aviv municipality expressed regret over the death of the runner but defended its actions, saying it had followed the instructions of health officials. It postponed the full marathon of 42.2 kilometers (26.2 miles) initially scheduled for Friday in anticipation of the heat wave, and started the half-marathon of 21.1 kilometers (13.1 miles) earlier in the morning to avoid the hottest temperatures.
The municipality said in a statement that when the runner died, Israel's national weather service had reported only a light heat wave.
Oh no, global warming! Should have checked with Matt Zaffino before allowing this race! No worry Barry is scheduled to visit this month and plans to give Israel less land to run on. I expect another strange disaster here in USA like the events that have coincided with the attempts to divide up Israel.
A couple things to note...was there humidity involved? Â And did they have enough drinking/.watering stations. Â I am from MN and we lost people to sports-induced heat strokes a couple times that were due to a lack of water and high humidity. Â Either can contribute highly to dangerous conditions.
Living in Arizona part time, I was surprised to see the temperature was 'only' 90 degrees and caused this kind of medical crisis in the runners. Our 17 year old grandson who lives in Arizona practices (daily doubles) in full football gear and helmet in July and August when the temperatures are in the 110's and higher. Although he loses weight through massive perspiration, he has never been sick and nowhere near heat stroke.Â
having a marathon or half of one in one of the hottest places on earth is like having a swimming contest in the Artic
@LostSoul Didn't stop them from building a city.
Yup
You know who receives 5 billion dollars from American Taxpayers? Israel.
You know who has cradle to grave socialized medicine? Israel. Â
Who can now say that America doesn't support Socialized Medicine; America just doesn't support socialized medicine for YOU>Â
@Icarus Kind of goes with the 2.2billion to Pakistan. 2.0 billion to Iraq, 670 million to Jordan, 1.5 billion to Egypt, 98.3 million to India, 103 million to Vietnam,108 million to Indonesia, etc, etc, etc,
@Icarus Cool!Â
Oh, wait...those were two separate, distinct statements, and unfortunately, most people would assume they were related.Â
Well, you know what they say about assume: It makes an ass out of you. (I heard there's more to it, but I don't think so.) Â :-P
@Icarus Just for the sake of accuracy - Israel get $0 from US for any economic or medical projects. Israel does gets lots of $$$ from US in military contracts though. However, long term friends of US like Egypt, Jordan and Pakistan also get their portion from Uncle Sam. The difference is that Israelis are not beheading Americans and burn American flags, Israelis did not celebrate 9/11, but grieved with the rest of the civilized world. See the difference?
@JulieIsraelis did not celebrate 9/11, but grieved with the rest of the civilized world.
Are you sure?
 "Israel celebrates successful 9/11 operation on Purim holiday," stressed that the costume, which depicts the two al-Qaeda hijacked planes as they crashed into the World Trade Center in New York; proved the success of "Zionist scheme."
w w w.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4351384,00.html
[IMG]%s[/IMG]
"We are benefiting from the attack on the Twin Towers and Pentagon, and the American struggle in Iraq." ~ Israeli PM Netanyahu   Â
w w w.voltairenet.org/article164394.html
@Julie @Icarus Cool story, brolita. Tell us more.Â
@Icarus This is a news forum, truth and reality is not welcome in American Media. Â
Please refrain from stating facts. Thank you. /s
Wow have done the hood to coast in 90+ weather and it can be harsh I did not get heat stroke but was likely close to it but one of our team mates during heat of the day did and collapsed just after finishing his leg. Luckily several runners were nurses and got on top of it quickly with cold water on groin and neck areas to get body temp down quickly.
Also have seen kids heat stroke out on turf soccer fields which run about 15 deg above air temp due to black rubber used in them.
@FreedomRocks  He collapsed after finishing his leg?Â
That must have been painful! I hope he took the shoe off first!
:-P
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@TheUglyTruth I do not think that runners are actually blamed anyone. I agree however that some aspects of human nature are very international.
So...ban half marathons or ban hot weather?
@Unknown @the rover No, I think the best thing would be to ban overused clichés.
Man I hear ya, but "it's all Bush's fault" sure hasn't wore thin after 5 years.
@Sundowner Um...there's CONGRESS.
I blame them for everything. If zombies were turned loose in both chambers of the Capitol while they were in full session, the zombies would starve to death.
Oh, I hear you also, but what about "Change" that is one cliché I do not ever want to hear again.
@dkgiovenco @JTesla Oh, it absolutely has.  But there's no one else to blame for the start of the recession and the beginning of how we got into the economic mess we're mired to the eyeballs in.  That isn't partisan, that's fact.
I am for half-marthons.
@dkgiovenco  What do they do with the other half?
Its going to be hot, should I run or shouldn't I? Do I have enough liquids? How is this the promoters fault?  Misdirected responsibility has made it across the pond I see.
@Quaoptician   Well the United States can give them another billion dollars for the inconvenience just like when Israel provokes and harasses the Palestinians the US gives them support.
Where are all the democrats this morning blaming this on global warming?
@HopeAndChange @JTesla  I, for one, am right here blaming no one but the idiots who decided it would be a good day to run a half-marathon.  Where are the republicans blaming this on President Obama?  Oh, that would be you, right?
@HopeAndChange Using their brains?
@HopeAndChange Yeah, because it never got up to 90°F in Tel Aviv before global warming started.
It does make me wonder how many water stations they had going. If there was a heat wave predicted, they should have anticipated the runners needing more liquids.Â
I don't hold them liable for this tragedy. It's every person's decision if they will race or not.Â
Blame the promoters? Did they hold a gun to these people's heads and force them to participate? What the heck happened to personal responsibility?
How can you be a critic of the marathon promoters? These people are able bodied adults who knew they were running in a heat wave. I hardly think the promoters are to blame. Anybody who runs knows you heat up really quickly.
Id be more afraid of being blown up, or bombed, or shot, or.....
@LostSoul By Settlers of IDF?
@LostSoul Â
The Palestinians don't have guns or bombs or tanks or planes...that's why they are always accused and harshly judged for throwing rocks when the Israelis invade their territory in violation of UN agreements.Â
@Icarus @LostSoul Actually Palestinians refused UN resolution for a two state solution and declared that they would never have a state bordering the Jewish state. They said "all or nothing", so they got "nothing", so they shot hundreds of thousands rockets (not rocks) into Israeli towns in the past few years and then go screaming to UN every time Israel retaliates.
@str1ngb3nd3r @Julie look,s like russian solder
@UnitedAndFree @Julie @Icarus @LostSoul Lord in the name of Jesus please bless the Jewish people and heal them and please forgive the people whom have been rude to Julie in your name father a-men
@Julie "...so they shot hundreds of thousands rockets (not rocks) into Israeli towns..."
Good reason for 'Palestinian' soldiers to conceal their identity?
 [IMG]http://i50.tinypic.com/dndb3l.jpg[/IMG]
@Julie @Icarus @LostSoulCool, Julie. So I can only assume you'll be on the next flight to Tel-Aviv to help out your Israeli buddies?Â
Don't let the door hit you. ;)
90 degrees is a heat wave?
If it was 90 when the race was run in the morning, yeah, it was a heat wave. Who knows what it was by late afternoon.
What? Â You think they were doing it for their health?
@negativerep lol