Deceased Runner Drowned in Own Data, Autopsy Finds
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A local runner found dead in his home last weekend drowned in his own data, according to a report by the county medical examiner—prompting a word of warning from public health officials.
Brent Spiner, 35, collapsed in his kitchen sometime late Friday or early Saturday, according to the report. A house cleaner discovered his body around 10 a.m. Saturday and called 911; attempts to revive him were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities were initially puzzled, according to news accounts, because there were no signs of foul play and Spiner was young and healthy, with no history of depression or other health problems. One EMT, however, noted that Spiner was wearing a marathon event shirt and was clutching his phone when he died.
That observation would prove insightful.
“Mr. Spiner’s death was caused by an acute overload of health and fitness statistics,” said Kelley DeForest, M.D., the medical examiner, in a public statement. “In essence, he drowned in his own data.”
Dr. DeForest went on to describe Spiner’s brain as being “in a really shocking state,” noting that the neurons in Spiner’s stravabellum—the part of the brain that processes stats like distance, elevation gain, heart rate, and so on—were “completely fried.”
“The deceased was an avid runner and a self-described ‘data geek,’” said Dr. DeForest. “In the end, that combination proved fatal.”
Many who knew Spiner said they were heartbroken over his death, but not surprised by the cause.
“Brent was always—and I mean always—checking and tracking his fitness stats,” said one friend, who requested anonymity. “Miles, time, pace, V02 max, ‘vert,’ heart rate, weight, sleep activity—you name it, he obsessed over it.”
“In the end, I guess it was all too much.”
The medical examiner’s report ended with a plea to other runners.
“Mr. Spiner’s death was tragic—and preventable,” said Dr. DeForest. “As such, it’s also a cautionary tale.”
“We urge all endurance athletes to exercise restraint with their fitness tracking. When it comes to analyzing your runs, a little data goes a long way.”
