Medical Tips

Medical Advice

Discuss any medical problems with your Medical Advisor (MA). This advice supplements anything he or she says. See your MA if you have a problem that makes it a risk to run in a marathon. We are happy for people with serious medical conditions to run, but only with your MA’s agreement and if you send details of your condition and the treatment you are undergoing. Please send these to us and quote your running number when you know it. Address the envelope to the Bonny Island Marathon Office, mark it ‘Confidential.’

If you have a medical problem that may lead to you having a blackout, such as fits or diabetes, put a cross on the front of your number and write the details, especially your medication, on the reverse of the number.

Cardiac Events & Screening

Runners may very well be unaware when they have a heart problem. Their condition would have been detected if medical advice had been sought and relevant tests carried out. A ‘fitness test’ is not sufficient to detect these problems.

If you have a family history of heart disease or sudden death, or you have symptoms of heart disease i.e. chest pain or discomfort on exertion, sudden shortness of breath or rapid palpitations, see your MA who can arrange for you to have a proper cardiac assessment. Such an assessment may not be instantly available, but continuing to run with these symptoms may shorten your running career catastrophically!