Mich. (WOOD) — A uniquely sweet finish at the Detroit Free Press Marathon was soured Sunday after a runner collapsed and later died during the race.
Andy Bowman and his wife, Sydney Devore-Bowman, won the men’s and women’s overall races, becoming the first couple to claim both races in the same year since the marathon’s inception in 1978.
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Andy was the first to cross the finish line at 2:17:47. Then, he went from exasperated runner to supportive husband, waiting for Sydney to take her turn crossing the tape. She did just that less than 25 minutes later at 2:42:46.
It was a dominant result for the Ferndale couple. Andy was nearly 4 minutes clear from the runner-up in the men’s race: South Haven’s William Cadwell. Sydney finished 3:06 in front Chelsea Hall, an Ohioan who took second place in the women’s race.
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But the charming victory lost some of its luster when race officials confirmed that a runner had died after collapsing partway through the race.
According to the Free Press, a 57-year-old runner collapsed near the fifth-mile mark, a stretch of the race in Canada after runners cross the Ambassador Bridge. The runner was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead.
Race director Aaron Velthoven spoke with The Detroit News, passing along condolences to the runner’s family.
“We are saddened. Our hearts go out to them, they really do,” Velthoven said. “It’s a tough thing. It’s a tough thing for everyone to hear that call through the radio.”
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He also thanked the first responders and volunteers who jumped in to help.
I want to just thank the medical staff, the volunteers along the course. They are there for these types of situations, these medical emergencies,” Velthoven told The N
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