Over 10,000 runners laced up their shoes for the 44th annual Beach to Bay Relay Marathon.
This was definitely enough to kick a good cardio workout into high gear and if runners went past their limits, the medical staff was there on standby to help.
So what are the signs of distress medical professionals look for once folks cross the finish line?
Making it across the finish line was the goal for thousands of folks that ran in the relay marathon.
However, making it in one piece, was a struggle for some.
Registered nurses, to physical and respiratory therapists along with more medical volunteers, were near the finish line to assist the ones who may have felt faint, dizziness and more.
“Which means that you need to train vigorously but also understand the limitations of the environment here,” says Dr. Lonnie Schwirtlich.
Skilled physicians share how important it is to remember that the South Texas humidity can sneak up on you while you run and going against the heat can be another obstacle.
“I realize how hard it is because of the weather, it’s really humid, hot,” says Beach to Bay runner David Rodriguez.
“Hydration is very important because of the humidity again, because we sweat a lot,” says Beach to Bay runner Karla Resendez.
Medical volunteers say each year they treat about 600 to 700 runners at their medical tents.
“We look for if they have a stumble across the finish line that will trigger us to pull them into the tent,” says registered nurse Liz Mathews.
Volunteers and runners say getting your body prepared for any running event is crucial.
“This is for fun this is a party event the main thing is getting to that finish line and handing off that baton to the next guy you don’t want to go down half ways in between,” says Dr. Lonnie Schwirtlich.
At the 2019 Beach to Bay Relay Marathon a total of 536 people needed medical attention and three people were transported to the hospital.
