RSS
Home
Exclusive: Fort Worth runner 'grateful' to be alive after collapse at NYC Marathon
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Michael Goulding before the race.
November 9, 2009 - Michael Goulding, 51, from Fort Worth could have been another scary statistic. Last Sunday, Goulding's heart stopped and he collapsed just after passing mile 19 in the New York City Marathon. Today, he shared his story with Examiner.com.
Goulding had been running for three years and completed two half marathons before he decided to tackle a full marathon in New York City. He completed the appropriate training and was excited for the challenge of running a 26.2-mile race. The first part of the marathon went as expected, but Michael Goulding started to tire around mile 18. However, he thought that tiredness was normal for anyone at that point in a marathon. He called his wife, but he doesn't remember feeling anything out of the ordinary except an unidentified pain in his right leg. "I felt okay prior to collapsing just past mile 19," said Goulding. "I was a bit tired but I thought this was not unusual. I walked a little bit on the upside of the 59th Street bridge, but felt okay going down it."
In an amazing stroke of luck, Goulding collapsed only feet from a group of New York City firefighters who were taking a break to watch the marathon. These firefighters from Engine Company 35 in Harlem were spectators and had not been hired by the marathon in any official capacity. They rushed to Goulding's side after seeing him fall to the ground, and immediately started using a defibrillator in an attempt to revive the runner. According to The New York Times, Goulding's heart was stopped for "two or three minutes" before firefighters were able to obtain a heart beat.
Goulding remembers seeing the firefighters on the side of the street, but that is his last memory before waking up in an ambulance. Like a typical runner, his first thought was that he wouldn't be able to finish the marathon. Goulding was transported to Metropolitan Hospital and then to the Cardiac Care Unit at Mount Sinai Hospital, where he received a balloon catheter to open a closed coronary artery. He was released from the hospital on Tuesday, with instructions to see a cardiologist for further treatment.
For his part, Michael Goulding feels "grateful, humbled and blessed to be alive." He also recognizes how lucky he was that first responders were nearby to react quickly. "I feel blessed that I collapsed so close to firefighters, and I think my training helped save my life," says Goulding. Although he feels slightly weak right now, he is expected to make a full recovery.
The New York City Marathon was to be Goulding's first marathon, and although he doubts he'll ever run another marathon, he won't rule it out: "It might be a good goal later in life," he says.
The running community has been shocked by several recent stories of sudden death at marathons, including the recent death of three runners at the Detroit Marathon. Thanks to some quick-thinking firefighters, this story has a happy ending.
Other running articles:
Edward Norton completes the NYC Marathon in 3 hours, 48 minutes
Los Angeles Marathon unveils new course for 2010
NYC Marathon champion Meb Keflezighi joins Letterman for the 'Top Ten'
Should Paula Radcliffe have pulled out of the New York City Marathon?
Didn't qualify for Boston? Run the Boston Marathon for charity
Follow @DallasRunning on Twitter (or click 'Subscribe' above) to get the latest running news and Dallas running events.
Related Articles:
Comments
