Medical Care at a Large Vertical Running Event

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Emergency Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Vertical running events, or stair climbs, are growing in popularity.
• These events present unique medical challenges for organizers.
• Limited data exists on the medical care provided at these events.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the medical care provided at a large vertical running event.
• To analyze the types and locations of medical encounters.
• To inform medical directors of future vertical running events.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of medical encounters from 2011-2017.
• Included participants of full (94 stories) and half (54 stories) courses, plus observers.
• Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data.

Main Results:

• 154 medical encounters for 150 patients (0.6% treatment rate) out of 23,920 participants.
• Most common complaints: gastrointestinal, respiratory, syncope, trauma, chest pain.
• Majority of encounters (66.4%) at the finish line; others along the route, often near way stations.

Conclusions:

• Most medical encounters are not life-threatening.
• Encounters occur predominantly at the finish line but can happen anywhere.
• Understanding encounter patterns aids medical planning for vertical running events.