Norwegian Runner Dies After Being Struck by Lightning During Italian Ultramarathon – runnersworld.com
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- A Norwegian runner was killed during the , an Italian ultramarathon, this weekend after being struck by lightning, according to a statement released by the race.
- Race organizers stopped the race 30 minutes prior to incident, but some athletes were between aid stations at the time and could not be reached by race officials.
- Severe storms rocked much of Italy this weekend, .
A 44-year-old Norwegian woman was struck and killed by lightning during an Italian ultramarathon on Saturday.
The incident took place during the seventh running of the , a 121K (75 mile) race that takes place starts and ends in Bolzano, Italy, and travels through the Dolomite Mountains.
posted on the race’s Facebook page and website, the strike occurred at around 7:15 p.m. near a lake called the Lago di San Pancrazio, which was located between two aid stations. Due to the dangerous storms, officials called off the race about 30 minutes before the strike, and were stopping runners at the aid stations.
However, many runners had already passed through and were between aid stations in spots that track marshals could not reach them, as was the case with the Norwegian runner.
According to the release, other runners witnessed the strike and called for help. The victim was transported out of the area via helicopter to the nearby Bolzano Hospital, where she died.
The victim’s name has not been released.
“We are shocked and deeply shaken by this tragic accident,” Josef Günther Mair, chair of the Organizing Committee of the Südtirol Ultra Skyrace, . “We express our deepest condolences to the family of the athlete.”
Throughout the weekend, severe storms had rocked Italy, killing three people across the country, including the runner, .
Lightning strikes kill an average of 49 people in the United States each year, according to the . So what can you do if you are caught up in a bad storm on a run? Back in 2016, an expert from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provided Runner’s World with this advice: Get to a safe place—inside a car, or substantial building—as soon as you can (which may mean keep running until you get there), instead of trying to take shelter under a tall or isolated tree. And if thunderstorms are in the forecast, it’s best to wait them out indoors until they pass.
Gear & News Editor Drew covers a variety of subjects for Runner’s World and Bicycling, and he specializes in writing and editing human interest pieces while also covering health, wellness, gear, and fitness for the brand.