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The death of a long-time running enthusiast during a half-marathon in Hamilton on Sunday has shocked the running community — and left some wondering how a seemingly healthy athlete, could come to such a tragic, and sudden end.

The sudden death of a runner in the Road2Hope marathon in Hamilton Sunday, was unusual but not uncommon according to medical experts.

56-year old Richard Greidenaus collapsed near the finish line Sunday, and despite immediate medical attention at the scene, he died a short time later.

There have been a number of similar deaths connected to various marathons in recent years — an increase attributed to the larger number of runners attempting longer distances. But there are some medical factors in play as well. Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky of Hamilton Health Sciences explained some of the more common issues facing distance runners:

“Usually in younger athletes a thickening of the heart called cardiomyopathy can occur, and that can lead to abnormal electrical activity and the heart’s so thick, that it just can’t pump effectively. And certainly, when you see a basketball player who’s 18 or 24 who suddenly drops dead, most often they have a cardiomyopathy which was either a genetic disease, or sometimes following a virus the heart can be damaged, and just not function appropriately. So again, there’s a variety of things from perhaps a virus that damaged the heart that may be was even a minor virus, that can cause enough scarring to cause this. A heart attack as we discussed where there’s a clot or the hardening of the arteries, or perhaps even a arrhythmia, where there’s this abnormal activity. Those would probably be the three most common causes of someone who was to drop, during a marathon.”

We should emphasize that no cause of death has been determined in regard to the death of Richard Greidenaus — and that in general physicians agree that any form of regular physical activity is more likely to lengthen — rather than reduce — a typical life span. They also note however, that moderation is important, especially as bodies age, and we have more difficulty with issues like muscle elasticity, and recovery.