In Memoriam - Matthew Good - RIP

I haven't posted since my race report for the Humber Bridge HM. I have had a couple of runs, but I wasn't sure what I should say about the tragic news of the death of a runner during that race.

I was contacted on Tuesday by Matthew's brother Tim, who had gathered from my postings on the Runners World forum, together with data from Matthew's Garmin, that I might have been one of several runners who had stopped to assist Matthew when he collapsed.

The following is part of my initial response to Tim:

About half way over the bridge I noticed a chap, way ahead of me, starting to stagger and obviously having a hard time. I decided straight away that I'd be happy to scrap my run if my help was needed. Just before I reached him his legs gave way and he was on the floor. Judging by my Garmin analysis this would be just about at the highest point of the bridge, around 12.2 miles.

Two other runners immediately stopped and tried to get him onto his feet, but his legs wouldn't hold him. A lady stopped and offered a drink bottle which one of the chaps tried to get him to drink. He asked for it to be poured over his head but, quite correctly I think, they tried to get him to drink it instead. Another lady passed (or it might have been the same one) saying she'd get a medic sent back.

At this point it seemed to me that the situation was under control. He was clearly dehydrated and probably suffering heat exhaustion to some degree, but looked stable. I felt that I couldn't do anything more to help than was being done, so I carried on. Looking at my Garmin data again, it seems I was only there for around 30 seconds. When I got to the north tower there were marshals or first aiders heading back towards the scene.

From our subsequent correspondence it seems that Matthew was indeed the chap I saw. I've struggled a little with my conscience, wondering whether I could have done more, but have concluded that at the time Matthew seemed to be stable, he was reasonably lucid and certainly conscious, and I wouldn't have been able to do anything more than was already being done.

I hope to do something in Matthew's memory later this year.

Meanwhile my thoughts continue to be with Tim and the rest of Matthew's family and friends.