The Passing Of Runner Taryn Armour Raises Big Questions About The Safety Of Marathon Running

The tragic death of Taryn Armour during the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon this past weekend has reignited an ongoing conversation: how do fit, seemingly healthy runners collapse mid-race?

Armour, a 48-year-old wife, mother and friend, collapsed just beyond the 11-kilometre medical point on Sunday. Despite immediate attention from the on-site medical team, she passed away shortly afterwards. Her death is not an isolated incident. In the past year alone, multiple marathon runners in South Africa-including during the Comrades and Two Oceans-have died suddenly either during or after completing a race.

Understandably, each incident leaves a trail of grief and confusion. Many runners train rigorously, eat well, and prepare months in advance. So why does this still happen?

Experts say that while marathons are designed to push the body to its limits, they can also expose hidden vulnerabilities-especially in the heart. When younger athletes collapse without warning, the culprit is often an undiagnosed cardiac abnormality, such as a thickened heart wall that wasn't picked up during adolescence.

In older runners, the risk profile changes. It could be a pre-existing heart condition that hasn't been properly managed or even detected. Other common factors include dehydration, heatstroke, blood electrolyte imbalances, or underlying infections that weaken the body before race day. In rarer cases, medication-especially those that affect kidney function-can also interfere with how the body responds to extreme exertion.