An Ironman Wisconsin competitor lost his life while competing in the biking portion of Sunday’s annual triathlon in Madison.
The participant was a 51-year-old male who was seen to be in medical need during the biking leg of the triathlon, according to the Dane County Sheriff's Office. He received immediate medical attention from race staff and an off-duty law enforcement officer before emergency medical services arrived, who transported him to a local hospital. His death was deemed a deadly “medical event.”
“We share our deepest condolences with the family and friends of the athlete and will continue to offer them our support as they go through what is a very difficult time,” Ironman Wisconsin said in a Facebook post Sunday night. “We thank event personnel and first responders who worked to provide the athlete with medical support.”
The Ironman Triathlon is an annual event held in Madison for the past 21 years. The event consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 114 mile bike and a 26.2 mile run.
This is not the first time a competitor has passed away during the Ironman Triathlon. In 2019, both 38-year-old Todd Mahoney and 61-year-old Michael McCulloch died during the swimming portion of the race. Officials never discovered the cause of “otherwise healthy” Mahoney’s death, but McCulloch’s death was attributed to “accidental drowning.”
No further details regarding the participant and the incident have been disclosed during this time.
