Xinhua General News Service
LOS ANGELES — At least seven people who took part in the 25th Los Angeles Marathon were injured during the race and were taken to hospital facilities for treatment, reported on Sunday.
In the worst of the case, a runner collapsed with critial injuries in some sort of seizure as 25,000 people run, ride and stride along the 42.195 km course (26 miles). Injuried runners are being treated in two hospitals affiliated with UCLA Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, hospital sources said.
Paramedics reported a handful of aches, cramps, dehydration and shortness-of-breath complaints. However,no total injury count was available as the last stragglers crossed from Los Angeles into Santa Monica at 3:30 pm local time.
As the first race to cross the city limits, three fire departments were mobilized along the revised course. The City of L.A. fielded 10 two-person paramedic teams on bicycles, and rode through areas normally covered by paramedics from L.A. County in West Hollywood, as well as the Beverly Hills and Santa Monica fire departments.
Copyright 2010 Xinhua News Agency