The thing about medical emergencies is they’re emergencies, which means they can happen anytime and when they do you have to be prepared to respond quickly. And putting on a race means that you know that there are going to be a certain amount of medical emergencies and non-emergencies: minor, moderate, and serious.
Dr. William Roberts, medical director for the Twin Cities Marathon, once called a major marathon a “planned disaster,” by which he means that there is going to be planned overload on the medical staff and it’s simply a question of preparing adequately for the surge. Even small and medium-sized races need to have a plan in place both for the mild medical issues that will likely arise and for the serious ones that could happen...
