Marathon Death Generates $1 Million in Donations: Are Marathons Dangerous?

by SodaHead News Posted 2012/04/26 20:00:00

Related Topics: claire squires, Marathon, Donations, rate, Hollywood, College, British, Claire, London

368 votes
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	Yes	150 votes	41%
	No	218 votes	59%

Claire Squires, a 30-year-old British woman, built a JustGiving donation page when she decided to run the London Marathon. On the page she wrote, "I'm running the london marathon for Samaritans [a suicide prevention helpline] because they continuously support others." But less than a mile from the finish line on Sunday, Squires passed away. Since her untimely death, the page has generated more than $1 million in donations.

Her death has also generated some concern over the safety of running a marathon. Since the London Marathon began in 1981, eleven people have died. However, more than 750,000 people have run in the marathon, meaning the death rate is only a small fraction of a percent -- according to the American College of Cardiology, it's 0.8 per 100,000 people. But still, the fact that anyone is dying from this is bad news. Would you consider marathons "dangerous"?

+13

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golem48 2012/04/26 22:50:41

Yes

+10
The man who ran the first Marathon dropped dead after delivering his message!
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More polls by SodaHead News

Murph to bob h. 2012/04/27 17:51:42

+1
Glomming donuts is one of my favorite things.

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john Kills 2012/04/27 17:11:10

No

+2
Life is deadly. What are they going to do now, outlaw running?

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Margaret Jacobson 2012/04/27 16:54:09

No

+1
not for most people.....My opinion, great way to meet people, have fun, raise money for a cause............Promotes that "warm fuzzy" feeling ..........WHEN ACCOMPLISHED FOR A GOOD CAUSE

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Flamingolady 2012/04/27 16:50:22

Yes

The first Marathoner dropped dead. This is not good for the human body, folks. And running for women is the #1 cause of face sagging.

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Jan Nel 2012/04/27 16:49:42

No

+2
No, no, no, no, no when its your day you gonna die, my daddy went to sleep and just never woke up, he was healthy when he died.

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Michaelene 2012/04/27 16:37:16

No

+2
No, Marathons are not dangerous. Unprepared or foolish people who fail to train for a marathon are what is dangerous to their own health.
She did a good thing to bring light to an organization that does so much good but she paid the ultimate price.

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amazinggrace 2012/04/27 16:20:12

No

+2
As a whole, no, not dangerous,

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kmay 2012/04/27 15:25:36

No

+2
We never know when we will die.

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Grizz 2012/04/27 14:59:28

Yes

+4
only if you are from North Korea and lose.

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bob h. to Grizz 2012/04/27 17:15:41

+3
How come none of these guys know what size hat they wear.

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the_old... to bob h. 2012/04/27 17:47:40

+1
Hahahahaha!

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janet to bob h. 2012/04/28 10:44:13

OMG!!
Thank you for the first morning hard laugh
Bless you and good point,, hahahahahahahaha..........

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ronbo to Grizz 2012/04/27 17:29:36

If it weren,t for the fatal results, it would make a great reality show-"Running from the Reds"

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M'lud 2012/04/27 14:50:15

Yes

+1
Duh! Doesn't anyone know the origin of the marathon? A greek soldier ran from the battlefield near Marathon to Athens to announce victory. Legend has it he then dropped dead.

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Margare... to M'lud 2012/04/27 16:55:14

I think you might be right

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scubagal 2012/04/27 14:19:12

No

+2
As long as people pay attention to their bodies and properly prepare, they should be fine. (Unless there is a hidden condition of some kind that they are unaware of, of course.) I'm really tired of people suddenly thinking that ~everything~ is too dangerous - c'mon, folks - if this continues no one will be allowed to play sports or exercise and we'll all be forced to wear bubble pack suits. That is not a fashion that I care to sport! ha!

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Aqua Surf 2012/04/27 14:08:25

Yes

Some people love the endorphin rush and don't know when to stop. Our bodies can only be pushed so far. Everything should be in moderation, including physical activities.

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anne.k.murphy 2012/04/27 14:02:41

No

+3
Your odds of being hurt or killed in a car wreck or from a household injury are astronomically higher than the odds of someone dying from running a marathon, so NO... marathons are not dangerous. They're safer than living in a house or driving a car anyway! ;)

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Bubba d'Rosa 2012/04/27 13:56:06

Yes

+2
God gave you so many heartbeats in your life. Why the hell waste em running?

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JoeM to Bubba d... 2012/04/27 19:19:49

As a ex-runner I will add "hits to your knees" to your list. !!! but I keep telling myself, "I should get back in shape and do just one more marathon".... then I go out and do a few miles, quickly remember why I quit, and have a beer and a big juicy burger.

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Muriel 2012/04/27 13:53:32

No

+2
If people participate wisely in ANY sport they take the chances of every other human, however if they omit their God given common sense. And take unreasonable chances, things happen. So be it.

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intolerantrwj 2012/04/27 13:13:22

No

+4
..... I'm worried that The National Sidewalk Defense League and Mother to Prevent Bloody Sidewalks will be protesting the next marathon due to this.

' Save the baby sidewalks .. prevent bleeding on the sidewalks .. send us your donation '

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H H 2012/04/27 12:34:54

Yes

+2
The distance is too far. Feeling the need to keep up with others causes runners to push beyond the limits of what's safe. The weather conditions in which marathons are run are too often too hot and too humid.

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djaxster 2012/04/27 12:14:53

No

+6
But there is one London Marathon that is very dangerous....It's un-offical but me and my m,ates are doing it next year.. It is The London Pub(Bar) Marathon and is held on the same day.
You must visit 27 pubs, that are on the Marathon Route and you must have a beer in each pub and then move on to the next one....Whose up for it next year?

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intoler... to djaxster 2012/04/27 13:10:06

+2
..... now that's my kind of Marathon, being a Barroom Athelete and all < a >

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anne.k.... to djaxster 2012/04/27 14:03:40

+2
Count me in!

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JoeM to djaxster 2012/04/27 19:22:28

Sounds a lot like the Brisbane River Race. (a sailboat race where everyone on board each boat is required to drink enough to be legally drunk by the first turning)

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apachehellfire65 2012/04/27 11:27:34

No

+1
it sounds like natural selection to me!

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Luke 2012/04/27 10:35:47

No

+5
The properly trained and conditioned runner has nothing to fear when running distance. It's the preexsisting conditions that kill you. Jim Fixx was a runner supreme and he died running from a heart condition.He could have had that happen to him walking to the bathroom, during sex, etc...

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Smuwf, Twin 2012/04/27 09:53:15

Yes

+1
Yes marathons are dangerous,but thats what happens when you test your perseverance by taking part. for some people a marathon is a no-go,its too dangerous if they have a bad heart,obese,etc. but then again,the morning and evening commutes to work can kill you,you could be mugged on your way to or from work,a car could strike you,you could crash,all manner of things. danger is a part of life,If you want to run a marathon you are confronting that danger,you can always pull out of the marathon if you start feeling that you have had enough,If you die in the course of the marathon it is,in a sense mainly your fault.

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Wolf 2012/04/27 09:34:08

Yes

+1
Marathons are pure physical exertion tests and mishandled today...instead of starting in the early morning hours when temperatures are good (depending on the season) the media coverage determines times in the hot part of the day making the event highly dangerous for the competitors...it is the modern gladiator event...

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TC 2012/04/27 08:27:50

No

+3
Its only dangerous for the unfit who who want to go beyond the limit which their bodies can withstand!

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El Prez 2012/04/27 08:09:13

Yes

+1
Life is dangerous and always leads to death!!! Everything is dangerous. Be in shape, be ready and maybe you will make it through.

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bob h. to El Prez 2012/04/27 17:23:22

+1
One of the most dangerous things you can do is go to the Dr. Thousands die each year from prescriptions or wind up addicted to synthetic opiates. Claire Squires died from running, Michael Jackson bought his very own Dr.

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Wolverineland 2012/04/27 08:08:15

Yes

+2
They can be. My aunt enjoys running til' this day but she only runs half marathons because she knows her body's limitations.

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Gaven Small 2012/04/27 08:07:43

No

+4
just about anything and everything can kill you but thats no excuse to live in a bubble.

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Andrew 2012/04/27 07:44:59

No

+5
Life is dangerous! Death comes to all who participate in this thing called life!

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jackie 2012/04/27 07:29:28

Yes

+3
Yes its a marathon. The body is over exerting itself. But its sad that when she died the organization decided to cash out on it.

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Daniel 2012/04/27 06:43:38

No

+1
Not if you are properly trained.

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jackie to Daniel 2012/04/27 07:30:08

+2
which most people arent.

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