London Marathon runner died of hyperthermia

Now his family is urging greater awareness among the sporting community of such dangers, in the hope that a similar tragedy can be avoided in the future.
Father-of-two Robert Berry, of Paddock Road, was taken to St Mary’s Hospital in London but died later the same day, Sunday, April 13.
The 42-year-old was running for the National Osteoporosis Society on behalf of his mother Ann, aged 72, of West Sussex, who has lived with the brittle bone condition for two decades.
The hearing at Westminster Coroner’s Court on Wednesday of last week, was told that Mr Berry succumbed to hyperthermia - a condition where the body is unable to regulate its temperature, overheats and begins to shut down - despite being fit and having no underlying health problems.
Westminster coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox said that, 250m from the finish, he was seen to stumble and lose his footing. She added: “Stewards assisted him, but 40m from the finish line he was handed over to St John Ambulance at the point he collapsed.
Dr Chioma Ginigeme, who treated Mr Berry at hospital, said: “His body temperature on admission was 42c.The normal temperature can be anything between 36.4c to 37c. We attempted to cool him down while continuing resuscitation.”
Medics also gave him two litres of intravenous fluid, but were unable to save him, the inquest heard.
A post mortem exam revealed the cause of death was hyperthermia. Pathologist Dr Michael Osborn said: “It’s the sort of thing that good runners and athletes, who are pushing themselves, are more likely to fall into, more than ultra-elite, or Olympic-level, athletes.
“Broadly speaking it’s like heatstroke, but at the top end. It could be caused by dehydration. The temperature of the area. It could all come down to genetic factors - some people are more predisposed to it.”