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AI-DRAFTED — PHYSICIAN REVIEW IN PROGRESSThe citation for this entry was checked against Crossref and PubMed, but its summary and interpretation were drafted by an AI model from the published abstract and have not yet been individually read by a physician. Read the linked source before relying on this operationally.
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Characteristics of sudden cardiac arrest during endurance racing: a decade of the Paris registry[1]

Chocron R, Laurenceau T, Cezard P, Chabrol M, Mignot S, et al. (Jouven X senior) · 2026 · Europace

Summary

Ten-year analysis (2011-2024, excluding 2020) of the Paris Sudden Death Expertise Centre registry covering half-marathon, full-marathon and 20 km Parisian races. Among 1.2 million participants, 17 sports-related sudden cardiac arrests (Sr-SCA) occurred, 88% male, with crude incidences of 16.9 per million (men) versus 5.7 per million (women). Cases were overrepresented in the final kilometres of the shorter races, and men showed twice the terminal acceleration rate of women. No cause was identified in 47.1% despite extensive investigation (idiopathic). Outcomes were strikingly good: 88% (15/17) survived to hospital discharge, all with excellent neurological recovery (CPC 1) bar one (CPC 2).

So what

The anchor incidence-and-outcome dataset for the cardiac-arrest-at-events shelf, and the strongest single argument for on-site defibrillation capability: SCA at an organized endurance race is rare (single-digit-to-teens per million), male-predominant, often unexplained (47%), and - critically - highly survivable (88% neurologically intact) when it happens inside a race's medical envelope. That survival figure is the on-site-response story in one number: a monitored, AED-dense, medically-covered event converts an out-of-hospital arrest into a near-uniform good outcome. The final-kilometre-of-short-races clustering is directly actionable - concentrate AED/responder density at the finish and the last split, not evenly along the course.

Key findings

  • Paris registry 2011-2024, 1.2M participants, half/full/20km races
  • 17 Sr-SCA, 88% male; incidence 16.9/million (men) vs 5.7/million (women)
  • Overrepresented in the final kilometres of SHORT races; men 2x terminal acceleration
  • 47.1% idiopathic despite full investigation
  • 88% (15/17) survived, all CPC 1 except one CPC 2 — the on-site-response survival story; free PMC

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