A 27-year-old man tragically died from “heart problems” while running a half marathon in Minneapolis on Sunday.
The runner, identified by the Hennepin County Coroner's Office as Blake Glucks, collapsed near the end of the City of Lakes Half Marathon and later died.
Gurul slipped and hit his head on the curb along the Bude Maka Suka Parkway during the 11th mile of the race. According to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Local police said fellow racers and subsequent emergency responders performed CPR on Gurkus at the shock scene and he was taken to Abbott Northwestern Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
Authorities have not released a cause of death, According to Gurul's obituary:He died of heart disease at the end of that fateful race.
A witness told the Star Tribune that she saw Blake staggering around before he fell, and when he finally collapsed and hit the curb, she quickly ran over to help him and attempted CPR. She wasn't the only witness.
Another runner, who happened to be an emergency physician, also tried to help Blake, according to the Star Tribune.
“We were trying to give him the best possible chance of survival. He seemed like a healthy person, someone you would never think something like this could happen to,” Dr. Catherine Katsungu told the outlet.
The obituary said Blake lived an active lifestyle that included hiking, tennis, running and pickleball.
Race organisers said they were “deeply saddened” by Mr Gurul's death.
“On a day that should be celebrating, a family has lost a loved one. Our deepest condolences go out to the runner's family and all those who were close to them.” Run Minnesota wrote on Facebook:.
“RunMinnesota and the City of Lakes Half Marathon would like to express their sincere gratitude to the participants who came to help their fellow runners along the course, and to the first responders and medical professionals who provided medical attention,” they added.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the running community as we grieve this loss.”
Grull, a native of Midland, Michigan, moved to Minneapolis in 2020 to start a new career with General Mills.
He is survived by his mother, father, three brothers and “the love of his life.”
The tragic incident happened just a week before Blake and his partner James would have celebrated their second wedding anniversary.
Glucks' family asks that donations in his memory be sent to the nonprofit organization The Bridge for Youth or the American Heart Association.
They also encourage others to get their heart health checked.
His death comes shortly after a half-marathon runner died after a race in Anaheim, California.
TikTok user Bobby Graves, known on social media as Caleb Graves, died after completing Disneyland's Halloween Half Marathon on Sunday.
Graves, 35, was seen clutching his chest as he crossed the finish line and later died of a heart attack, local police said.
Temperatures in Anaheim reached a maximum of 107 degrees, but he was not known to have had any health problems at the time of his death.
