Marathon Runner Dies Of Heart Attack During Barcelona Marathon In Hot Temperatures

A runner died of a heart attack after running in the Barcelona Marathon on Sunday, according to reports, due to sweltering-hot temperatures.

The 47-year-old man, whose name was immediately released, suffered a heart attack during the marathon on Sunday, ESPN reported via The Associated Press.

According to Barcelona's Clinic Hospital, the runner died shortly after arriving at the hospital from a heart attack.

In the 2013 Barcelona Marathon, Ethiopians Gezahgne Abrera and Lemelen Berha won the men’s and women’s, respectively. Abrera finished in 2 hours, 10 minutes, 17 seconds while Berha finished in 2:34:39.

The Barcelona Marathon is one of the biggest events held annually in March in the European city, attracting tens of thousands of people since it began in 1978.

Reports of Sunday’s marathon runner death come after an Israeli soldier died of heat stroke two days earlier on Friday after completing a half-marathon in Tel Aviv. According to Yahoo News, 29-year-old Sgt. Michael Michalevitch, who served in the military’s canine special forces, collapsed in the heat, which was 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) on Friday. Yitzhak Aharonovich, Israel's public security minister, said on Israel Radio that organizers should not have scheduled a marathon in such extreme temperatures. According to Yahoo, more than 50 runners were also treated after collapsing from heat.

According to the Mayo Clinic, those who suffer from heat stroke have body temperatures of 104F degrees or higher, which can cause severe damage to the brain, heart, kidneys or muscles.