Medical hazards of a four-km fun run.

An observational study was conducted of participants in a 4-km race with the object of identifying risk factors for a poor outcome. Sixteen individuals were identified who required medical assistance at the end of the race. Pulse and lying and standing blood pressure were measured and a brief history was taken. Compared with 92 controls, the subjects showed a greater orthostatic drop in systolic blood pressure and were more likely to have consumed alcohol in the preceding 24 h.