Hyponatremia
						Cynthia was in excellent health.  She was extremely diligent and dedicated in her training.  She had successfully completed a marathon 2 years prior to running in Boston.  By all accounts she looked great all throughout the 19 miles of the 2002 Boston Marathon.  Yet, she became unsteady and collapsed between miles 19 and 20.  She was placed in an ambulance and seized on her way to the hospital. She never regained consciousness.
		Since Cynthia's passing there have been several reports intended to warn athletes about the dangers of hyponatremia so that runners can be better informed. Runner's World - Drink to your health Boston Globe - August, 2002 The Chicago Sun Times - Dangers of marathons -October, 2002 MetroWest Daily - November, 2002 Coolrunning.com - Tips for runners MetroWest Daily - Official's Warning - April 16, 2003 MetroWest Daily - A close call - April 22, 2003 Boston Globe - Medical Coverage at Marathon - April 18, 2006
			Unfortunately, just a few months after Cynthia's tragedy, another runner apparently  succumbed to the same syndrome that claimed her life while participating in the Marine Corps Marathon. The Washington Times - October 30, 2002 The Washington Times - October 24, 2003 Washington Post - October 24, 2003 More recently, a 22 year old runner was hospitalized and subsequently died of hyponatremia after completing the London Marthon in April 2007. The exact cause of hyponatremia is a topic of some debate in the medical community. MetroWest Daily News - November 5, 2003 Medscape report - July 30, 2003 British Journal of Medicine - July 19, 2003 Sound Medicine Expert Interview - January 9, 2005 New England Journal of Medicine - April 14, 2005. (You may need to download Adobe Reader to view this file) Current research attempting to better characterize the mechanisms responsible for hyponatremia in these cases can help develop recommendations for improved monitoring and treatment of runners and ultimately prevent the potentially tragic consequences of this condition American Journal of Medicine - 2007 Sports Medicine - 2007 It is our hope that the seriousness of this rare syndrome can be shared with all runners and that efforts are made to prevent tragedies such as these from happening to healthy, active people in the prime of their life.