Runner’s Tragedy at Brooklyn Half Marathon numbers 1 Dead and 16 Hospitalized

One runner died during New York City’s Brooklyn Half Marathon, and another 16 runners were hospitalized on Saturday, May 21, 2022.

The Brooklyn Half Marathon was a 13.1 miles (21 km) race. On Saturday, at 7 am, it began at the Brooklyn Museum, went around Prospect Park and along Ocean Parkway, finishing in Coney Island on the boardwalk; this is the first time a runner died at the Brooklyn Half Marathon since 2014.

The runner who died was later identified as David Reichman, 32 years old, a behavioral therapist who got his master’s degree from New York University. After finishing the Brooklyn Half Marathon, Reichman collapsed on the boardwalk at Ocean Parkway at Brighton Beach Avenue. He was rushed to nearby Coney Island Hospital and pronounced dead. According to the event organization and NYPD, Reichman collapsed just before 9 am after crossing the finish line in Coney Island. The possible cause of death is cardiac arrest; the medical examiner will determine the cause of death later.

The Fire Department of New York (FDNY), who dispatched the emergency medics, stated that there were 16 other runners transported to the hospital, and 4 of them had severe non-life-threatening injuries.

The tragic event has been under coverage by many “mainstream” media outlets, coincidentally claiming the “high temperature” as the possible cause of the incident.

Although, according to the “National Weather Service” weather report, in Central Park, New York City, on May 21, 2022, at 7 am, when the half marathon started, the temperature was around 62°F (17°C); later, around 9 am, when Reichman collapsed after crossing the finish line, the temperature was 65°F (18°C). The highest temperature, 90°F (32°C), didn’t appear until 2 pm later that day.