ABSTRACT

In Turkey, an increase in the number of people interested in running and particularly, in those participating in marathons is quite striking. The age of participants is increasing as well. Nowadays master athletes are often seen in these competitions. Although the benefits of sports are not open to debate, sports events, such as marathons, pose potential risks to participants. Pre-participation evaluations are important as well as follow-ups by a coach for individuals participating in sports to minimize the damage that this paradox can create. Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is the most feared and dramatic situation during organized sports events. Although it is not very common, describing the inflicted trauma is not quite possible. In this review, medical evaluations on adult and elderly athletes, in particular, will be discussed. Coronary artery disease, particularly in this risk group, is the leading cause of SCD. We would like to suggest a three-step evaluation of athletes in this age group. This approach seems to be relatively easy to implement considering its cost effectiveness, and it also helps identifying as many at-risk athletes as possible. Furthermore, we want to emphasize that the regulation of the emergency field of the race environment is very effective in reducing mortality.