39 year old dental surgeon dies hours after participating in Goa marathon

Dr Mithun Kudalkar

, a

dental surgeon

by profession, who had also won several awards in sporting activities died on Sunday, hours after taking part in 20 miles (32 km) Goa river marathon.
He was 39 years old.
““I’m at a loss for words. He was extremely fit…his day started with some physical activity and training. In recent years, he took part in many running and cycling events and won medals,” his father told The Indian Express.
As per reports, Dr. Mithun, a

fitness enthusiast

, was deeply passionate about health and an active participant in marathons and cycling events. He regularly engaged in sports like badminton and squash, along with consistent workouts, inspiring many with his unwavering dedication to fitness.

After completing a marathon, Dr. Mithun began feeling unwell and was taken to the hospital, where doctors examined him and declared him fit. However, upon returning home, his discomfort persisted, leading to vomiting and eventually collapsing. Tragically, he later passed away. While the exact cause of death remains unknown,

sudden cardiac arrest

is suspected.
According to his friend and

running partner Jitendra Dhyani

, during the race he was absolutely fine and was seen taking photographs of his wife and son. Later he complained of acidity and was checked by a medical team. He was declared fit and sent home later.
Expressing condolences on the death of the young doctor, Dr Sudhir Kumar posted on X, “He completed his 1st ever 20 miler (32 km run) last month (Nov 10th) during Mangaluru marathon in 4 hours 23 minutes. His average HR during the run was 158 bpm. He considerably slowed down after 21 Km mark (pace of 9 to 11 min/Km). However, avg HR remained on the higher side (143-168 bpm).”

“

Zone 2 running

(running at average HR of 60 to 70% of maximum HR, where max HR is 220 minus age), is supposed to offer several health-related benefits. It helps improve aerobic fitness and reduces the risk of injuries. One should aim to run 75-80% of the weekly mileage in zone 2. This could mean running at slower pace. However, over time, one would be able to run at a faster pace, while still maintaining HR in zone 2,” Dr Kumar wrote in the long post on X. He recommends running in zone 2 heart rate (180 minus age; or 60-70% of maximum HR, where max HR is 220 minus age).