KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -
Last weekend's Warrior Dash attracted more than 15,000 participants who signed up for 3.1 miles of obstacle courses and running. It also sent 13 people to the hospital and claimed one life.
28-eight year-old Jeremiah Morris collapsed in his last mile after starting with his group around 4 p.m. Saturday, according to the event organizer, Red Frog Events.
Morris died three days later. The Warrior Dash closed early Sunday afternoon.
While it's still unclear whether Morris' death was heat related, the triple digits were to blame for most of the injuries that weekend, according to the Kansas City Fire Department.
"When you're exercising strenuously like in this Warrior Dash that occurred, when you're exercising really hard for 45 minutes or an hour, you can get into trouble more quickly than when you're out on your own," St. Luke's Cardiologist, Dr. James O'Keefe said.
O'Keefe says fatal heat strokes are rare in younger aged people but some medications can worsen the situation.
Experts say staying hydrated in addition to the minimum 64 ounces of water most doctors recommend, is important.
"If you're exercising, you probably need at least another liter per every hour that you're exercising. In this weather it might be more than that," O'Keefe said.
Morris worked at St. Luke's Hospital East in Lee's Summit as an Information Associate.
"We are truly saddened by the news of Jeremiah Morris' passing. From everyone at Red Frog Events, we express our deepest condolences and sympathy to his family and friends," a Red Frog Events spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday.
The company added, "As with all our races, safety is our number one priority and we took numerous precautions based on the weather forecast for this weekend's race in Kansas City."
The company provided water trucks, cooling stations and tripled the amount of water bottles for all racers.
The Chicago based company takes the Warrior Dash to more than a dozen cities nationwide.
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