EMTs Unable to Revive Collapsed Runner’s Interest in Marathons
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A local runner collapsed during a marathon Sunday and medical staff were unable to revive his desire to ever run a marathon again, Dumb Runner has learned.
Colt Seavers, 28, was visibly unwell by mile 16 of the Major Lee Marathon, witnesses said, before he stumbled, stopped, and fell shortly after mile 18; Emergency Motivation Technicians responded within seconds, but Seavers’ interest in running marathons was pronounced dead moments later.
“Fuck this,” a delirious Seavers told first responders. “I’m done.”
EMTs urged Seavers to reconsider, telling him he’d do better next time, but did not take heroic measures to prolong his motivation, citing Seavers’ own wishes.
“He had a DNF order,” one EMT told Dumb Runner. “So we respected that.”
A lucid Seavers, speaking hours later at a postrace news conference, reaffirmed his decision to quit marathons.
“Clearly, today was not a good day for me,” said the longtime runner, who has finished one marathon before this one, and DNF’d another. “That happens.”
“However, it seems to me that marathons are pretty awful even when you’re having a great day,” he said. “Therefore, I am never—and I mean never—going to run a marathon ever again.”
“I mean, who needs this?”
In a statement shared on social media, Race Director Jody Banks addressed the incident and praised EMTs.
“Having a participant experience sudden, catastrophic demotivation is every race organizer’s worst nightmare,” wrote Banks. “Our Emergency Motivation Technicians responded swiftly and did their best to resuscitate this individual’s desire to run marathons—but, despite their best efforts, they were unsuccessful.”
“It’s tragic when anyone loses their interest in marathons,” Banks continued. “But especially sad when it happens to someone so young.”
“Our thoughts today are with Mr. Seavers’ family,” she said. “And with Mr. Seavers himself, of course.”
