Mumbai: Of the 65,000 participants in the Tata Mumbai Marathon (TMM) on Sunday, 2,400 needed medical help, of whom 27 were hospitalised with mild to severe injuries or complaints of dehydration.
A few of them remained admitted at multiple hospitals until press time.Unlike in 2024, when two deaths were reported, there were no fatalities this year. Most of those requiring hospitalisation visited Bombay Hospital, the closest private tertiary care facility to the event area. Ten runners presented to the emergency room (ER) there; one was admitted to the ICU, another to a ward, while one more was under observation in the ER.One such runner, a 21-year-old, collapsed near the finish line due to dehydration. A second, a 42-year-old resident of Vikhroli, had a similar incident, his oxygen saturation was between 80-84%, and he had a high heart rate. He is currently receiving supplemental oxygen at 2 litres per minute. A third, a 32-year-old, presented with generalised weakness.“This year we did not have any critically ill patients. Earlier years have had one death and cases of brain hemorrhage and heart attack,” said Dr Gautam Bhansali, Consultant Physician at Bombay HospitalHowever, some sustained more severe injuries. Kandivli resident Savita Shyamsundar (42), a first-time runner in the 6km event, was in a terrible accident that could require an operation. With a smile on her face and spirits still high, she narrated the incident: “It happened when I slowed down a bit while running with my son and husband, and the person behind accidentally pushed me.” She said she fell because of an uneven lid on the road, causing her knees to bend and twist upwards.
She was fortunate that an orthopaedic doctor was nearby at the run, he helped her with initial stretches.Four other runners with severe dehydration and high heart rates were rushed to Jaslok Hospital.
All were discharged after treatment. A similar case was also handled at P D Hinduja Hospital.Two more runners presented with dehydration and altered sensorium at Sir H N Reliance Hospital, the event’s official medical partner. One of them remains under observation and on vasopressor support, which is administered intravenously for critically low blood pressure.Earlier in the day, a police officer deployed for marathon duty collapsed after suffering a suspected heart attack, officials said. He was administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) at the spot. As these efforts failed, he was rushed to a nearby hospital. Police said the officer responded to treatment at the hospital and is now stabilised. He was later discharged.
