Runner, 27, dies after collapsing at Minneapolis half marathon, police and organizers say
MINNEAPOLIS — A 27-year-old man has died after collapsing during Sunday's City of Lakes Half Marathon in Minneapolis.
The Minneapolis Park Police Department says the man collapsed along Bde Maka Ska Parkway, with first responders rushing in to help him.
He was taken to Abbott Northwestern Hospital, where he was eventually pronounced dead, according to this statement posted to Facebook by race organizers Run Minnesota:
"We are deeply saddened by the passing of a participant following the 2024 City of Lakes Half Marathon.
On a day meant to be a celebration, a family lost a loved one. Our hearts go out to the runner's family and all those who were close to them.
Run Minnesota and the City of Lakes Half want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the participants on the course who came to the aid of a fellow runner and the first responders and medical professionals who provided medical care.
We also send our care to the running community as we grieve this loss together."
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office identified the man as Blake Joseph Groulx of Minneapolis. His cause of death has not been released, but Groulx's obituary notes he died from "cardiac issues while finishing the last stretch" of the race.
A Michigan native, Groulx moved to Minnesota in 2020 to work as a packaging engineer for General Mills, according to this obituary.
Groulx's visitation and celebration of life ceremony are set for Friday in northeast Minneapolis, his obituary states. He will be buried in a private ceremony in Michigan.
His family is asking for all donations in his honor to go to The Bridge for Youth or the American Heart Association, adding they encourage all to get heart health screenings and regular medical checkups.
NOTE: This story was amended on Sept. 11, 2024, to add information regarding the victim's background and unofficial cause of death.
