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DEATH RACE: 'Brutal' Brooklyn Half Marathon leaves one runner dead, 15 others hospitalized

The race was reportedly held under extremely warm conditions, with the temperature at Coney Island being 70 degrees with 83% humidity at 9 am

One runner tragically died on Saturday, May 21, after finishing the Brooklyn Half Marathon, authorities confirmed. The man, 30, has not been identified. He is said to have possibly suffered cardiac arrest around 9 am and taken to Coney Island Hospital where he was pronounced dead, the NYPD said. 

The New York Road Runners club, which held the event, reportedly said that the man fell on the boardwalk. Besides the deceased, at least 15 people had to be rushed to the hospital, four of whom suffered serious injuries. 

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The race had 22,000 runners head to the Coney Island boardwalk from the Brooklyn Museum through Prospect Park. It was reportedly held under extremely warm conditions, with the temperature at Coney Island being 70 degrees with 83% humidity at 9 am already. Near the end, four others collapsed too, a police officer said. “Maybe an organizer or health official should have called it,” the cop said.

John Peterson, 26, said that he had run the Brooklyn Half Marathon several times but this race was the hottest he has ever experienced. “You have to be aware of your own body’s limits. Sometimes you wanna go for it and push yourself,” he said, talking of the grueling race. “And it’s awful sometimes you push yourself too far and this kind of thing happens.”

Anamaria Flores, 42, of Howard Beach, said she had to actually walk the final leg because of how exhausting Saturday's race was. “It was brutal,” she said. “As a back of the pack runner, that last five miles were really rough. There’s just no shade anywhere. It was definitely one of those days where you have to slow down. With the humidity and once the sun came out, forget about it. It’s a recipe for disaster.”

New York Road Runners said that it had “medical staff placed from start to finish throughout the race course, who are ready to respond immediately to the medical needs of all runners, spectators, volunteers and staff.” “The health and safety of our runners, volunteers, partners, and staff remain the top priority for NYRR. In coordination and consultation with the city agency partners and weather experts, NYRR was closely monitoring weather conditions leading up to and during the race,” the group said in a statement.

This event was held in person for the first time since the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic. Celebrities including NBC’s 'Today' weatherman Al Roker, 'Good Morning America' anchor T.J. Holmes and 'Bachelorette' alum Zac Clark were expected to participate in the race.