Chicago Marathon Marred by Heat

The Chicago Marathon was canceled for the first time Sunday as the heat and humidity put over 300 runners in ambulances, hospitalized 49 and took the life of a 35-year-old man.

Chad Schieber of Midland, Mich was pronounced dead after collapsing in the 18th mile. Four runners have died in the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon’s 30-year existence, but never have so many been reduced to unconsciousness or suffered nausea, heart palpitations and dizziness as on Sunday.

“It was absolutely insane,” said Trinity International University (TIU) senior Laura Della Torre. She was one of several TIU Athletic Training students that volunteered at the race-sponsored aid stations.

Libertyville’s Condell Medical Center employs Certified Athletic Trainers for the Marathon. TIU’s Athletic Training Program Director Karl Glass works in conjunction with Condell to provide TIU Athletic Training students the opportunity for monitored volunteer work and experience to earn clinical education hours in order to sit for the National Athletic Training Certification exam – a graduation requirement.

Senior Athletic Training students Kate Nelson and Christy Bullmore could be found sweating alongside Della Torre between miles 17 and 18, running quarter-mile sprints with wheelchairs to pick up and haul collapsed runners to the medical tent.

Early on about every 15 minutes a dizzy runner would visit the tent. But that number increased suddenly to an average of two-dozen people at any given time until the race was cancelled at 11:30 a.m., said Della Torre.

Three cots, five chairs and the floor at this station were shared by thousands of dehydrated runners over the course of the race. The volunteers responded to all needs – Notified emergencies, monitored temperatures and treated rolled ankles. They also distributed Vaseline and Band Aids for common chaffing and blisters, and gels, power bars, and water for nutrition and hydration.

The highest temperature Della Torre took that day was 108 degrees. Brain cells are destroyed at such high body temperatures. The man was unresponsive, unconscious and injected with two IVs, one was a chemical-seven solution – containing essential fluids beyond the normal sodium-chlorine saline.

City ambulances outside of Chicago responded to the surplus of calls and it took 45 minutes for one to retrieve the athlete now reduced to a comatose patient, said Della Torre.

Over 35 thousand runners began the Chicago Marathon and less than 25 thousand finished the race, according to race officials.

TIU student Graham Hallen was about four hours into the race at mile 23 when a marathon official with a megaphone announced, “The Marathon has been canceled, please walk.” Graham completed the race at 5 hours 6 minutes and 10 seconds. He survived the heat, but had surgery on his foot the following Thursday.

Athletic Director Patrick Gilliam finished his sixth marathon at 5:25:28, and TIU student Danielle Plantz finished at 5:51:04 – both an hour after their anticipated time.

“Running is now a felony, please walk,” said another course official.

Joining the Opposition for a Practice Session

CALUMET & TIU POSE AFTER A JOINT PRACTICE TUESDAY - Dana Larmour

Calumet of St. Joseph’s College Crimson Wave Women’s Soccer forfeited their third game this season Tuesday against the Trinity International University (TIU) Trojans. The Crimson Wave (0-12) are battling a variety of injuries in addition to a slim roster.

Despite the forfeit, the TIU women’s soccer program traveled to Indiana for a combined training session with Calumet to encourage them and show them love.

Led by the inspiration of Athletic Director and Coach Patrick Gilliam, the women’s soccer team desires to be others’ focused this year. This is not just an ideal set aside for the off-season, but a mindset lived out even during the unpredictable demands of the fall.

The decision to go was made by the Trojans via a 36-party conference call at 10:45 the night before. Typical teams would have used the forfeit as an opportunity to go scout other league matches to be better prepared for future opponents in the post-season. Robert Morris College and Trinity Christian College, both top teams in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC), had games that evening.

“Success in soccer is not the most import thing,” said Gilliam. “The most important thing is how when we see somebody in need we reach out and minister to that need.”

On Tuesday afternoon, 30 TIU women’s soccer players joined seven Calumet players, traded names, training t-shirts, and a cheer. The teams ran sprints, practiced drills and competed in a full-field scrimmage under the leadership of a combined coaching staff.

Lightning and thunderstorms emerged from a clear sky, and although the blinding wind and heavy rainfall made training difficult, the energy and hustle on the field increased.

“You are a classy bunch of ladies,” said Calumet of St. Joseph’s College Head Women’s Soccer Coach Emily King to the Trojans in a the post-practice huddle. King’s is a first-year coach at Calumet. She graduated in 2006 from Valparaiso University where she played NCAA soccer for four years.

When the training time expired and the rain did not, the group huddled as one, hands in, and on a three-count shouted “unity.” The players stripped off their soaked shirts, shorts, shoes and socks, and took refuge in a gym to eat pizza and fellowship.

Reflecting on a time when he coached a high school team that had similar injury and roster setbacks to Calumet, Coach Gilliam prayed aloud for Coach Emily and her developing program. The Trojans didn’t plan to engage in direct evangelism that afternoon, but trusted that if they were hearers and doers of the Word, the Holy Spirit would do His work.

“Hopefully along the way they ask what’s inside of people that makes them give up their afternoon to drive down here and do it joyfully and excitedly,” said Gilliam.

The teams have continued contact through Facebook, an online social network.

“We had a lot of fun and enjoyed you guys coming out,” wrote Calumet women’s soccer player Jorie Arnold in a Facebook message. “It lifted our spirits and we thank you very much!”