Low temperatures cause cardiac arrests and stroke during Taipei Marathon

Taipei, Dec. 17 (CNA) The cold caused a male runner in the Taipei Marathon to suffer a stroke while participating in the event Sunday, where three others suffered out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) during the race.

The starting pistol for the 2023 Taipei Marathon was fired at 6:30 a.m. Sunday, when the temperature was recorded at 13 degrees Celsius.

According to the Taipei City Government's Department of Sports, the three men who experienced OHCA are aged 26, 46 and 50.

The runner who suffered a stroke during the race is a 42-year-old male, the department added, noting that the man was conscious when taken to hospital.

As the marathon organizers ensured medical professionals were on site, the department said all four runners received immediate medical attention and their situations improved after being treated in hospital.

In addition, the city government revealed that a female participant also fell and suffered an injury during the event and was also taken to hospital for treatment.

Sunday's marathon attracted around 30,000 runners from 62 different nations, the highest number of participants ever recorded.

Ethiopian runners Dechasa Alemu Moreda and Obse Abdeta Deme took the top rankings at the event, placing first in the men's and women's categories, respectively.

Moreda won the 42.195-kilometer 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.

Speaking with CNA, 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.

"Regrettably, a strong headwind started blowing halfway, making the run a lot more challenging," Chiang said, adding "I will return to 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."