25 marathon runners remain in the hospital
By Mary Owen | Tribune staff reporter
10:12 AM CDT, October 8, 2007
At least 25 people remained hospitalized this morning with heat-related conditions a day after the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon was cut short for the first time in its history as hundreds of runners laboring across ovenlike streets were treated for heat-related illness.
Nine of the those hospitalized were in serious to critical condition, according to officials from five of the seven Chicago hospitals that treated runners Sunday.
Fire officials said about 315 runners were taken from the course by ambulance with heat-related conditions. City and suburban ambulances took 146 people to hospitals, most in good condition, and the rest were taken to hospitals or medical aid stations along the route by private ambulances, officials said.
One runner, a 35-year-old Michigan police officer, died after collapsing in the race's 19th mile, but it was not clear whether the death was heat-related.
Chad Schieber of Midland, Mich., collapsed about 12 p.m. in the 1500 block of South Ashland Avenue and was pronounced dead on arrival at a West Side hospital at 12:50 p.m., the medical examiner's office said. An autopsy will be performed today.
The race was stopped about 3 1/2 hours after the start gun on an abnormally sweltering autumn day, amid complaints of insufficient water for more than 35,000 runners who had come from around the world to compete.