The cold caused a runner in the Taipei Marathon to have a stroke while participating in the event yesterday, while three others experienced cardiac arrest during the race.
The three men who experienced cardiac arrest are aged 26, 46 and 50, the Taipei City Government’s Department of Sports said.
The runner who had a stroke during the race is a 42-year-old man, the department said, adding that he was conscious when taken to a hospital.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
As the marathon organizers ensured that medical professionals were on site, all four runners received immediate medical attention and their situations improved after being treated in hospitals, the department said.
In addition, the city government said that a female participant had fallen and had an injury during the event and was also taken to a hospital for treatment.
The starting pistol for the marathon was fired at 6:30am yesterday, with about 30,000 runners from 62 different nations — the highest number of the event’s participants ever recorded.
Ethiopian runners Dechasa Alemu Moreda and Obse Abdeta Deme placed first in the men’s and women’s categories, respectively.
Moreda won the 42.195km race in just 2 hours, 11 minutes and 56 seconds, while Deme completed the race in 2 hours, 27 minutes and 14 seconds.
Deme beat her personal best, stating that she enjoyed both the beauty of the city and the passion of supporters.
“I really enjoyed the marathon,” Deme said. “If there’s a chance, I hope to come back again next year.”
Seasoned Taiwanese runner Chiang Chieh-wen (蔣介文) finished the race in 2 hours, 22 minutes and 30 seconds to win the domestic men’s category, while designer Chen Yi-ning (陳逸寧) took the domestic female title in 2 hours, 56 minutes and 41 seconds.
The 41-year-old Chiang said he had wanted to beat his own 2 hours, 19 minutes and 14 seconds Taipei Marathon record this year.
“Unfortunately, a strong headwind started blowing halfway, making the run a lot more challenging,” he said. “I will return to the challenge again next year.”
Chen’s title win was a belated birthday gift to herself, as she recently turned 30.
“My first time at the Taipei Marathon in 2020 saw me break the three-hour mark,” Chen said. “I subsequently surpassed my personal best in 2021 and 2022 before becoming domestic champion this year. I couldn’t have imagined this in my wildest dreams.”
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