Loading...
Approximately 500,000 participants compete annually in USA Triathlon (USAT) events, which include cycling, swimming, and running. Some deaths occur during events, which raises concern about safety, but little is known about death rates during triathlons. Investigators identified 135 triathlon-related deaths and cardiac arrests during USAT events among >9 million participants during 30 years.
Eighty-five percent of arrests occurred in men, and most (67%) occurred during the swim portion of the triathlon. Older competitors expectedly had higher risk, but race length did not affect arrest rate. When only athletes in whom competition history was known were considered, nearly 40% of arrests occurred among first-time triathlon participants. When a…