Boston Marathon 2018: Over 2,500 Runners Visited Medical Tents

BOSTON, MA — More than 2,500 people sought help, including 25 elite runners, in the medical tents along the Boston Marathon route in bitter cold conditions that included multiple reports of the symptoms of hypothermia.

"Cold weather is responsible for about 95 percent of all treatments," according to Chris Troyanos, B.A.A. Medical Coordinator.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency released incident numbers as of 2 p.m. for the Boston Marathon, which was taking place amidst wind chills in the 20s and freeing rain. About 875 people made their way to medical tents, not including finish line tents. By 4:30 p.m. that number rose to 2,527, said Troyanos. (Read this story about what happened to one man in Framingham.)

"Those were the most brutal conditions I’ve ever run in," said Shalane Flanagan, one of the elite women pundits had put as having a shot at becoming the first place finisher.

And that sentiment was echoed by runner after runner. The medical tents seemed to corroborate that.

There were 73 EMS calls and 45 EMS transports in the afternoon but again, by 4:30 p.m. 81 runners had been transported to hospitals, according to Troyanos.

A busy medical tent isn't uncommon, but usually dehydration in warmer conditions is responsible for the visits. This year, the medical personnel in the tents were seeing a lot of cold runners coming in looking for relief from chafing and from blisters on account of soppy socks. Reports of people affected by hypothermia also surfaced.

Finishers were wrapped in special heat reflective blankets at the finish line and told to go into warming centers. The vast majority of them appeared to be shivering.

The conditions were so bad that even the Red Sox postponed their fan-favorite Patriots Day contest, the first time its happened since 1984. Marathon race officials said it was the coldest Boston race in 30 years.

(For more Marathon news and more hyperlocal happenings, subscribe to your free local Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Here's a list of marathon medical prep by the numbers, according to the Boston Athletic Association:

• 1,900 Medical Personnel

• 26 Red Cross Stations
• 24 Hydration Stations
• 30 Medical Buses and 6 Supply Vans
• 500 Bags of Ice
• 800 Cots
• 1,500 Blankets
• 500 Tongue Depressors
• 500 Disposable Waste Bags
• 4000 band aids
• 175 Ace Bandages
• 1,500 Gauze Pads
• 2,000 Adhesive Bandages
• 250 Rolls of Moleskin
• 500 Tubes of Petroleum Jelly
• 400 Towels
• 900 Intravenous Bags
• 26 Oxygen Tanks
• 25 EKG Machines
• 40 Defibrillators
• 150 Blood Pressure Cuffs & Stethoscopes
• 80 Thermometers
• 10,000 Pairs of Medical Gloves
• 200 Bottles of Antiseptic Handwash
• 5000 Emesis Basins
• 2,000 Tubes of Antibiotic Ointment
• 30 Ice immersion tubs
• 375 Red Cross medical / admin volunteers
• 3,750 combined volunteer hours
• 120 amateur radio operators for course medical communications
• 1,000-2,000 runners, spectators assisted every year along the course
• 31 bottles Antiseptic hand gel
• 104 boxes Medical Gloves
• 52 bottles Sunblock
• 31 boxes Antibiotic Ointment
• 5,000 Bandaids
• 1,500 Gauze Pads
• 250 Ice Packs
• 52 Heat Packs
• 400 pads Moleskin
• 52 tubes Sports Cream
• 150 pounds Petroleum Jelly
• 52 rolls Paper Towels
• 52 boxes Tissues
• 52 Trash Bags

Boston Patch Marathon Coverage:

• Boston Marathon 2018: Start Times, What's Qualifying Time Everything To Know
• Boston Marathon 2018 Results, Start Times, Live Stream, Route
• Boston Marathon: Runners Feeling The Weather In Wellesley

• When To Watch In Brookline
• Low Flying Helicopters?
• Boston Marathon 2018: How To Track A Runner
• Where To Eat In Brookline On Marathon Monday 2018
• Boston Marathon Expo 2018: At The Seaport, Not Hynes
• Live Stream Boston Marathon 2018 Or Watch On TV: How To
• Boston Marathon 2018: How To Get There
• Why 2 Military Vets Will Run Only Newton's Stretch Of Boston Race
• 5 Top American Women To Watch: Boston Marathon 2018

• Boston Marathon 2018: How Many People Are Running From Cambridge?
• Boston Marathon 2018: Who Is Running From Jamaica Plain
• Charlestown Runners
• Waltham Runners
• Newton Runners
• Brookline Runners

Photos by Jenna Fisher/Patch