Mumbai Marathon pulls big crowd, but 2,400 seek medical aid; 27 hospitalised, officer survives heart attack

• 2400 of 65000 runners at Tata Mumbai Marathon needed medical assistance
• 27 runners were hospitalised, most cases less critical than previous years
• No fatalities; serious dehydration and injuries treated in hospitals

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The Tata Mumbai Marathon concluded on Sunday with a significant medical response, as organisers confirmed that 2,400 of the 65,000 participants required medical assistance. While the event avoided the fatalities that marred the previous year, 27 runners were hospitalised with conditions ranging from severe dehydration to injury, according to a TOI report.

Medical facilities across the city reported a steady stream of cases linked to the physical exertion of the race. Bombay Hospital, the closest major private facility to the event route, received ten runners at its emergency room. Officials there stated that one individual was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), another to a general ward and a third was kept under observation.

The hospital's consultant physician, Dr Gautam Bhansali, noted that this year's cases were less critical than in previous editions. He reflected that past marathons had seen fatalities, brain haemorrhages and heart attacks, a severity not encountered this time.

However, several participants faced serious health scares. A 21-year-old runner collapsed near the finish line due to dehydration. In a separate incident, a 42-year-old man from Vikhroli also collapsed, presenting with dangerously low oxygen saturation levels and an elevated heart rate, requiring supplemental oxygen. A third runner, aged 32, was treated for generalised weakness.

Beyond dehydration, at least one participant sustained a potentially serious injury. Savita Shyamsundar, a 42-year-old Kandivli resident running the 6 km race with her family for the first time, suffered a fall after being accidentally pushed from behind.

She was cited by TOI as saying that the fall was exacerbated by an uneven lid on the road, causing her knees to bend and twist painfully. She expressed gratitude that an orthopaedic doctor participating in the run was nearby to provide immediate first aid. Medical staff indicated her injuries may require surgical intervention.

Other hospitals also dealt with race-related admissions. Jaslok Hospital treated four runners for severe dehydration and high heart rates, all of whom were later discharged. P D Hinduja Hospital handled a similar case. Sir H N Reliance Foundation Hospital, the event's official medical partner, reported two cases of dehydration accompanied by altered mental states; one of those patients remained under observation and on intravenous medication to support critically low blood pressure.

In a separate incident earlier in the day, a police officer on marathon duty collapsed after a suspected heart attack. Officials confirmed that after initial CPR at the scene proved insufficient, he was rushed to a nearby hospital where he responded to treatment, was stabilised and subsequently discharged.