Note: This story has been received from Rudy Fuentes and slightly edited for public posting. If you want a copy of the original document leave a comment here with your email or email Rudy Fuentes directly at ruddi47@gmail.com
REMUS FUENTES died of multiple organ failures as result of heatstroke two days after he ran the 21K in the recent 34th Milo Marathon last Sunday, July 4, 2010.
His death was the result of fatal mistakes, sheer incompetence and gross negligence in the event organized by the Organizing Team.
My son, 37-year-old Remus ran the 21K together with a running buddy when he collapsed at 19.9 kilometer mark. There was none of organizer’s ambulance nor marshalls to respond in the incident. Policemen hailed for a taxi and they, together with his buddy, assisted in bringing him to the nearest hospital, Ospital ng Maynila. At the ER, the diagnose was suspected heart attack. My wife and me, upon being informed by his younger brother, Roy Fuentes, who also ran the 21K, rushed to the hospital and saw that Remus in coma, had seizures and struggled breathing in spite of hand-pumped oxygen and dextrose attached. His body temperature was 40 degrees C and when asked, the medical attendant told us he had fever. She introduced paracetamol intravenously twice at interval of about 15 minutes. Remus continued having seizures even until the arrival of Medical City doctor & ambulance attendants that we have arranged for his transfer. The Medical City doctor attending said his status was unstable, contrary to the earlier advice to her by the Ospital ng Maynila ER doctor. They rushed him with the ambulance to Medical City at about 11:30 AM. There, a series of tests were done, including blood chemistry, CT scan, etc. Cardiologist told us his heart was strong and no intervening medicine was necessary. Blood Chemistry results showed positive findings on creatinin level, an indication of kidney failure. They suspected liver failure too. To stop his seizures, Remus was put on full sedation for 12 hours. Kidney functions further deteriorated after 36 hours. Blood pressure and heart rate went erratic. Doctors attending him in the ICU asked our permission to do dialysis and blood transfusion to stabilize his blood pressure. Seven hours later, ICU nurse wake us up and asked us to rush to the ICU. We saw 18 medical people around him, several taking turn doing the CPR. Failing to revive him, the doctor asked our consent to stop the CPR after 15 minutes. We begged them to continue hoping for miracle. 30 minutes further, doctor told us again that all numbers in the monitoring “were bad” and asked again the consent to stop the CPR. Finally, we relented. Few minutes later, his heart rate monitor went flat. All these happened in front of my wife and me. We lost Remus 48 hours after he collapsed into coma which he has never recovered. His young wife and his eight-year old son took the news very badly.
About Heatstroke:
It usually happen in extreme sports like basketball, football, boxing and marathon.
Heat stroke is a life-threatening medical condition. The person’s cooling system, which is controlled by the brain, stops working and the internal body temperature rises to the point where brain damage or damage to other internal organs may result. The body temperature, usually at normal 37 C, goes up during the exertion of effort as result of the increased heart rate. When it reaches 40 C, the person is in danger of getting heatstroke. Above 40 C and mostly at about 42 C, the person can collapse into unconsciousness. If nothing is done within few minutes, he can slip into coma and brain damage may occur. The proven first aid response for heatstroke is cooling the body rapidly in whatever means to the level of below 40 C before bringing him to a hospital. Ice and water is the best way to do this, the same way it is done for a child having high fever who has convulsion.
Another way of understanding heatstroke is comparing it to the performance of car engine. At idling, the engine temp is low and safe. At sustained high speed, engine temperature increases rapidly but because of the cooling system, the heat is continuously dissipated in the radiator and safe temperature level is maintained. But when the water in the radiator is gone, Undissipated heat will rack up the engine temperature and ultimately exceeds the safe limits. At this condition, engine breakdown will occur in minutes starting with broken piston rings, rods, pistons, etc.
With the human body, perspiration cools down the body so hydration by drinking water is essential. Without water, perspiration stops and body temperature goes to critical level and into heatstroke and then organs and brain begin to fail.
Big obvious difference between human body and car engine is that you can always overhaul the engine but you cannot do that on the human body.
Why Heatstroke is More Dangerous in Marathon than in other Extreme Sports?
In basketball, the player exerts extreme effort only in bursts, stopping or slowing down intermittently which slows down heart rate and cools down the body. At timeout, they drink to replenish lost body water hence you always have the waterboy. Heart stroke is rare but ask any PBA player what they do when a player collapse. They don’t move the body but cool them off with water or ice before bringing him to the hospital.
The same is true in football and in many similar sports.
In boxing, in between rounds of three minutes, boxer rests and drinks water. We can only wonder what will happen if the rule of the sport is drastically changed and will only end when one is down and out.
In Marathon, the risk of heatstroke is much higher for the following reasons:
1. The long distance runner aims for shorter time as a goal and therefore motivated to keep a sustained effort, not unlike cars at high speed in the highway.
2. Furthermore, the target minimum time set by the organizer adds more to the motivation to run faster. The cut-off time added more pressure to the marginal marathon runner, meaning if you are used to run above the target time, the tendency is to do better time, probably at pace unproven by your body in practice. (Milo Marathon set the target for 21K medal at 2 ½ hours or less. Remus collapsed at near 20th km. with time of 2 hours 10 minutes when his previous record was 2 hours and 27 minutes. ).
3. The more critical factor is that the hydration management is not in the control of the runner. He has to rely on water availability at the water stations provided and planned by the organizer along the route. ( In this 34th Milo Marathon, several runners including Remus brother, Roy and Remus running buddy asserted that practically there was no water to drink in the last 2~3 kilometers before the finish line, a fatal failure for Remus by the organizer when they changed the route resulting in over-traffic near the finish line. There were record 28,000 runners on that day and obviously the organizers failed to anticipate the complexity of hydration. Milo’s last year marathon participant was well below 10,000 runners.)
4. The correct life-saving response for heatstroke depends on few knowledgable people who may happen to be around the person. To mitigate this, the organizer deploys ambulances with water & ice for cooling heatstroke victims and is expected to respond within minutes. In addition, marshalls are provided along the route to assess runner situations continuously. (Obviously, the organizer failed again on this aspect because Remus was helped by policemen and his buddy instead. By this time, Remus is probably already brain damaged as evident by his seizure at the hospital. No Milo people knew of Remus case on that day until Roy, his brother, sent an email informing the organizer of the incident in the next morning).
5. The Sun Factor adds to the danger in Marathon. Running under the heat of the sun in tropical country like ours cannot be underestimated. To minimize the effect of the sunheat, Marathon run is planned to finish in the early morning avoiding the heat at later time. Organizers usually take this into consideration. (Milo organized the 21K to start at 5:30 AM , a departure of common practice of other marathons which started at 5:00 AM. Remus collapsed at about 7:57 AM. Roy who is a better runner than his brother Remus, complained that it was unusually hot that morning even if he was able to finish it earlier in 2 hours 45 minutes )
Clearly, Marathon is an extreme and dangerous sport even to the young, healthy and trained runners. This is not the “fun run” many people confused of.
The organizer has clear life-and-death responsibility to make sure that the conditions the runner will run under item 3, 4 and 5 above are done properly. Obviously they did not do their job properly in the 34th Milo Marathon. In my opinion, being the father of Remus, Milo Marathon Organizers have failed my son. It is their sheer incompetence and consequently the gross negligence in their duty that results in the death of Remus …an unneccesary death.
About Remus:
At the time of his death, he was an IT project manager of Hewlett-Packard (HP) responsible in computerizing big companies like Unilab, Coke, etc. including installation of hardwares (servers, etc.) and software system. He used to worked for Intel for 10 years before he moved to HP 3 years ago. He graduated in Computer Engineering. He left a housewife, Takako and two children, Raphael, 8 years old and Therese, 4 years old. Raphael is enrolled at La Salle Greenhills. He played basketball with his brothers regularly on weekends. He has been running since his high school days in Lourdes School of Mandaluyong. He has run many 10Ks and two 21Ks before these, the “Freedom Run” in June 13 and “Nature Valley” in May 20 only this year. He has no history nor complaint of illness and he lived clean.
My Questions for the Organizers:
1. How many died in the 34th Milo Marathon last July 4? Is it true that there was another runner at 42K who collapsed at 33 km and later died?
2. How many runner collapsed in that marathon due to heatstroke who later survived but now are no longer the same person as before due to partial brain injury? At Ospital ng Maynila, we saw a 2nd runner brought in unconscious and woke up later but he can no longer recognize his family. Do the Organizers of knew this? What happened to him. Are their more?
3. Is it true that another 36 year-old runner, Fidel Camson, who ran the 42K 31st Milo Marathon in November 2007 collapsed near the finish line, brought to the Ospital ng Maynila and died later of undetermined cause? If true, what did they do avoid a repeat which apparently did not happen in this 34th Milo Marathon? If true, why do they still keep their Marathon organizer for 10 years until now?
4. Do they keep tally of deaths in the 34 years of Milo Marathon? Do they study the statistics and establish how many died of heatstroke, the preventable one?
5. What is the corporate culture of the Organizers regarding its respect of the value of life? Upon knowing the death of my son Remus, A Senior Vice President of one of the organizing team, who head its Beverages Business Unit went to see me and among other things, he told me that the Marathon is continuously improved and but sometimes “lapses occur and they will learn from these lapses”. Lapse is defined as a ‘mistake’. People learn from ‘error’, a deviation from being correct but a ‘mistake’ is caused by a fault: the fault could be misjudgment or carelessness. We learn from ‘error’ but we take action on ‘mistake’ and more drastic action when people die of this ‘mistake’. So death in my son’s case is a mere learning process for this person? Is this the culture that pervades in their Organization? or only in him?
6. Is the measly “humanitarian” offer to help the family shoulder medical & funeral expense to the family had become an SOP too often? Was it their expectation that as appreciation of this help, the family will keep quiet about the whole thing? Do they really think that the waiver signed by the runners protect them from being liable? Do they know that this waiver won’t apply if negligence of their duty as organizer can be established?
7. What did the Organizers do, if any, to keep the news of Remus death from appearing in the media even after one week? Not one news item of his death appeared in the newspaper, TV or radio. Could the news of “ HP Manager Died of HeatStroke during the Milo Marathon” not interest the public? Were they afraid that the bigger news is when the subline “Father charged Milo Marathon Organizer of Incompetence and Negligence” which may damage the public image of the company?
The answers to these questions will help enlightened the public whether Milo Marathon is safe or not for the runner. To the runners, their parents, wives and relatives…they all better asked these questions before the runners decide to run in Milo Marathon.
Last Words from Remus Father:
I am not condemning the sport but the organizer who failed to make sure runners will not die of heatstroke, when the risks can be grossly minimized with proper route planning, hydration management and quick medical response. I am condemning the contribution of the apparent culture of the sponsor of diminished value of human life as indicative of its senior executive’s attitude calling my son’s death a result of lapses. My hope is something good will come out of his death and as result of improved organizing of the marathon run, few lives will be saved from heatstroke. My other hope is to get justice and for the Organizing team to answer for his untimely death. I am working on it.
Rudy Fuentes, Father of Remus
Note: This story has been received from Rudy Fuentes and slightly edited for public posting. If you want a copy of the original document leave a comment here with your email or email Rudy Fuentes directly at ruddi47@gmail.com
Here is the Official Statement of Milo Marathon 2010 on the story of Remus Fuentes
189 Comments For This Post
12 Trackbacks For This Post
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Waiver of Liability not Accountability « Everybody Loves Raymund Says:
July 13th, 2010 at 3:55 pm[...] from different causes, i.e. heatstroke, dehydration, cardiac arrest, etc. (Read about one of the runner’s death as told by his father here). After the Energizer run, a 17 year old boy died in the ER after [...]
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Running in the Year 2010: Mary Grace, Remus, Alexander, Kassy and Eric « BananaRunning Says:
July 13th, 2010 at 10:24 pm[...] Remus and Alexander [...]
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Remus Fuentes, Heatstroke and the Milo Marathon | menardconnect.com Says:
July 14th, 2010 at 12:30 pm[...] was reading my friends blog when I chanced upon his post discussing what happened to a runner (Remus Fuentes) in the 21K who collapsed in the recent Milo Marathon last July 4, 2010. I was really shocked that [...]
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A Father’s Lament: Remus’ Dad Speaks Out « JAZZRUNNER Says:
July 15th, 2010 at 11:52 am[...] From: http://www.pinoyfitness.com/2010/07/remus-story-as-told-by-his-father/ [...]
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Death at Milo Marathon Says:
July 16th, 2010 at 2:16 am[...] detailed account from the father of Remus can be found at [...]
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Milo Marathon 2010 - Official Statement on Remus Fuentes Incident | Pinoy Fitness Says:
July 17th, 2010 at 9:14 am[...] Here is the story of Remus Fuentes as told by his father. [...]
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The Bull Runner » Blog Archive » How to Avoid Pitfalls of Long Distance Running on Phil. Daily Inquirer Says:
July 18th, 2010 at 10:17 am[...] Remus Story as told by his Father – Pinoy Fitness [...]
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Phil. Daily Inquirer - How to avoid pitfalls of long-distance race | Pinoy Fitness Says:
July 18th, 2010 at 7:06 pm[...] by the recent death of Remus Fuentes, who passed away in the recent Milo Marathon, an article was released today on the Philippine Daily [...]
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KIKAYRUNNER » Blog Archive » Black Bands and Heartbreak Says:
July 18th, 2010 at 11:48 pm[...] the 21-km distance until Milo had issued a statement about it. Remus’ father Rudy had given a statement about his son’s death and alleged that Milo was responsible for it, but I know it’s dangerous to form and voice an [...]
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Runners' Runner: Of the Milo Marathon: Birth of my running, death of a colleague, rebirth of a self-aware running community. Says:
July 19th, 2010 at 10:39 am[...] Elims was my former co-employee at Intel. I extend my condolences to Remus Fuentes and his family. (Read the story of Remus as told by his father ). Much has been said of Remus’ story. Please read the article and the comments to get a [...]
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Milo Philippine’s Statement to Mr. Remus Fuentes’ death « Mapanuri Says:
July 21st, 2010 at 6:42 am[...] Milo Philippine’s Statement to Mr. Remus Fuentes’ death Posted: July 21, 2010 by devinceoy in Uncategorized 0 Milo Philippines held its own marathon on July 4 where hundreds of runners participated. Unfortunately, one runner (Remus Fuentes) died after the event because of multiple organ failures. His death was the result of heatstroke two days after he ran the 21K in the recent 34th Milo Marathon last Sunday, July 4, 2010. To read the story, click here. [...]
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Died from heatstroke after finishing a 21k run | Memento Mori Says:
August 6th, 2010 at 8:57 am[...] dehydration two days after he run the 21k run in a marathon event. You can read the whole story here. I love running in fact I’ll be joining another marathon this coming August 1st. And I [...]
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July 13th, 2010 at 10:21 am
I read at the Bull Runner’s website based on their observation that the hydration system of the 34th Milo Marathon for the distance running was really really bad. So hydration system is number one on the list of the mistakes of the organizers, second is, I guess, response team is lacking on their system.
I think some lesson that we can take from this is to have this mentality of not-to-expect too much from anyone, instead apply a self-preparedness attitude, such as bringing your own small hydration system when running distance and it could save some life of buy yourself some time.
I deeply feel sorry for your lost Mr. and Mrs. Fuentes, may Remus rest in peace. God bless us all.
July 13th, 2010 at 11:06 am
We grieve for the loss of a fellow runner and condolences to the family of Remus.. I ran 10k and I can vouch for the fact there was no water available on the last 2 – 3 km of the Milo Marathon Manila leg at around that time. All I can think about when I passed the empty water stations was “What about the half and full marathon runners?” It would have been very dangerous for them to continue without hydration. And to think the tragedy happened 1km away from the finish line and they failed to respond in time.. I just read about Remus this morning and Its just sad news for me.. It could’ve been prevented if the organizers expected something like this would happen. Then they would’ve thought it through and made sure the runners safety was top priority.
July 13th, 2010 at 11:53 am
damn.. this story is really sad… condolence..
a total loss
but lesson to us all..
maraming websites and forums with regards to running. We should read before getting into something. with such long distance as 21k i think the hydration belt is a must need. We shouldn’t neglect these gears. Let’s prepare well and have ourselves check before running such long distances.
July 13th, 2010 at 11:54 am
Condolence to his family.
July 13th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
truly saddened.
Condolence to his family.
July 13th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
Condolence…
July 13th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
Condolences.
When I went to his burol in San Roque Church, I remember asking Remus’ widow last July 7 if there is a news blackout since none of us get to GOOGLE for a news article regarding the death of the runners or the numerous runners who collapsed. Water/Gatorade was in a total shortage for the last 9km. They replenished gatorade in the CCP area (around 3.8km away from the finishline) around 9:30am, and water bottles were unloaded from the truck at the Quirino water station around 9:45am. Tsk.
July 13th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Maybe it’s about time to consider giving insurance to participants if only to lessen the impact of tragic cases like this on the family.
July 13th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Condolences to the family and friends.. I run the 21k and can attest the shortage of hydration on at least the last 3km to the finish line… May Remus Rest In Peace… his story teach me to be more mindful of the races I joined against the readiness of my body… God Bless Us All!!!
July 13th, 2010 at 2:46 pm
To REMUS, I will pin your name next to my race bibb the next time I will run in any marathon except MILO. My condolence and symphaty to your family,and REMUS wherever you are, you’ve just finished your run rest in peace and God Bless
July 13th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
This is so sad. My heart goes out to his family. Sending my deepest condolences to his family.
July 13th, 2010 at 3:27 pm
This is truly a loss. Much more saddening is the fact that this could have been prevented.
I have already done a number of 21k’s always mindful that it could be my last. In my opinion, all 21k’s are hard and the Milo last July 4 is no different. Hydration is a big issue in any race, so I always carry mine and not rely on the organizers. Being in a tropical country, heat is always present and must be managed with caution. Pace needs to be controlled so as to finish the race strong and not fade away.
Furthermore, I have learned through experience that motivation and perseverance alone cannot finish a race. It has to be backed by sufficient preparation and training.
Hopefully, this would serve as a lesson to all us runners. We have to know when to go on and when to call it quits. While it is called a race, it doesn’t matter who is faster, what is really important is completing the distance alive and well. Finishing is not everything.
July 13th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
condolence to the family…….rest in peace Remus………
July 13th, 2010 at 3:58 pm
My deepest condolences to his family and friends. Regardless of the circumstances, a life lost so soon is a tragedy indeed.
July 13th, 2010 at 4:20 pm
i also ran 21k during the milo marathon and i’ve probably got to run next to remus during the race… i was greatly saddened by this news and i would like to extend my sincere condolences to his family and friends… this is really an eye-opener to all runners, to take into utmost consideration not only their health but also the profile/ history of the event organizers. i agree, there was no more water available on the last 2 to 3 kms. i had cramps on both legs, 4 kms. away from the finish line and got to ask help from the medics only when i got to the finish line as there was no one to ask help from along the route and they were not even attentive and responsive to your needs unless you tell them so. i think that the availability of a medical team should not only be the major concern but also ensuring that they have been properly trained so they would know what to do in case of emergency situations.
July 13th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
this is very sad. I will be running my first 21K this sept for the Milo Cebu Elims. and it scares us newbies to know such stories of incompetence from the organizers. i hope they will learn these lessons.
Condolences to the Fuentes family.
July 13th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
Condolence to Family of Sir Remus….
July 13th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
My heartfelt condolences. The prayers of LSM ’90 are with you and your family.
July 13th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
…Rest in Peace Sir Remus, and may God watch over his family.
..Just my 2 cents,I think MILO should consider putting a cap or limit to the number of runners running in the Manila Leg. This will enable organizers to properly provide proper care, hydration and security to us runners. Probably limit it to 12,000 runners and Rudy B. should also consider joining forces with coach rio who so far had success pulling of races with more than 11k runners.
July 13th, 2010 at 5:01 pm
Though I prepared enough for this event,still I suffered from numbness of left arm and minor chest pain maybe due to the uncoordinated movement of my arm and feet when I reached Manila Film Center. I walked for more than a hundred meters and was thinking of quitting. I saw an ambulance near the Star City but hesitated to approach the paramedics upon seeing a man being assisted by them. After that, I suffered numerous leg cramps on my way along the Roxas Blvd. To my dismay, there was no water or anything in the hydration stations. I hope the organizing committee of Milo Marathon will prevent this and other lapses next time. Though runners may be well prepared, still unfortunate or unexpected things happen. Therefore much is expected from the organizers to quickly respond especially in life-threatening situations.My condolences to Remus’ family.
July 13th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
Condolence to the family of Remus. rest in peace!
July 13th, 2010 at 5:41 pm
This is truly a heartbreaking story. My deepest sympathy and sincerest condolences to the bereaved family of Remus…
God bless his soul and may Remus rest in peace.
July 13th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
This is an appeal from Remus Father to all bloggers who have run the 21K or 42K Event of 34th Milo Marathon last Sunday, July 4.
I appreciate to get your personal story & experience about the hydration issue for me to have a better understanding as to what really happened. I only have stories of Remus few friends who ran with him which I like to validate. This will be appreciated.
You can email this to me at ruddi47@gmail.com
July 13th, 2010 at 6:25 pm
my heartfelt condolences to Remus’ family.
this reminded me of last year’s SCTEX marathon where there were just too many lapses in the way it was organized.
it made me think twice before joining another locally organized marathon next time. what a far cry from international marathons! you only need to run. the rest (water, food, cheering squads, markers, ambulance, first aid stations, the works) are all in place and a-plenty,
i hope this becomes a lesson for the organizers and for us who love the sport.
July 13th, 2010 at 6:27 pm
We were also there during the run. It was really hot and quite surprising that there were no motorcades surrounding the people who were running unlike other running events.
My condolence to the family, this is truly a saddening news
July 13th, 2010 at 6:47 pm
My sincere condolences to the family and their loss..
July 13th, 2010 at 8:09 pm
my sincere condolences to the family…
I hope that all the organizers in the country will take note of these recent events…
July 13th, 2010 at 8:35 pm
R.I.P. this is a real sad story, but haven’t received much exposure as indicated in the letter. Thanks for posting this.
July 13th, 2010 at 8:43 pm
condolence to the family
July 13th, 2010 at 8:44 pm
Sincerest condolences to the family…
you’ll surely be missed by fellow runners.
rest in peace…
July 13th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
my deepest condolences to the family of Remus.
July 13th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
the organizers will have the results ready with a day or two, we’ll post it here asap once it’s available.
July 13th, 2010 at 9:23 pm
deepest condolences to the family
July 13th, 2010 at 9:27 pm
my deepest sympathy to your loss sir..i have several friends and acquaintances who are into running as means of keeping themselves fit or slim..i am not much of a fan not because of i did not plan to get into it but due to lack of time and discipline to do so and keep at it..for now, i just satisfy myself to breeze-walking going out of our village when going to work..
thank you for sharing this story..i support your plight and hopefully this will be an eye-opener to all enthusiasts and organizers..
in this regard, i would like to request for a copy of the note original document mentioned in the “note” above to further understand the circumstances..
thank you.
July 13th, 2010 at 9:54 pm
shame on the MD who gave paracetamol. Antipyretics have no role in the treatment of heatstroke, as the patient’s hypothalamus is functioning properly. Giving antipyretics might actually be harmful and aggravate liver and hepatic dysfunction in these patients.
July 13th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
Condolences to Sir Remus’ family. He was an officemate and a running friend. Will be reposting this in my FB
July 13th, 2010 at 10:37 pm
I call it negligence… lack of foresight. I ran at the 34th Milo Marathon. It is true that there was no proper hydration. At the last 3K, while there was a water station, they ran out of water. This is because runners for 5K, 10K, 21K, and 42K pass by this water station. They should have anticipated this. The 5K runners will pass by this water station once but they are the largest contingent and the rest of the runners will pass by it twice. This water station was the most frequented but apparently they overlooked this.
July 13th, 2010 at 10:59 pm
my deepest condolences to the family of remus. it saddens me more to know that he leaves behind 2 kids
i was part of a support group that day, and i saw 3 runners collapse. 2 in front of our station, and 1 right after crossing the finish line, inside the chute. we’ve been getting unusually hot days this year, and though i understand that runners ought to be responsible enough to bring their own hydration, you can only hang on to that supply for a short time, especially when running a distance greater than 15K. it is the responsibility of the organizers to provide runners with adequate hydration at all critical points in the route. saying that they ran out of water is just plain inexcusable.
July 13th, 2010 at 11:40 pm
Sincerely and deepest condolences to the family
July 14th, 2010 at 12:20 am
My sincerest condolences to this fellow runner’s family.
July 14th, 2010 at 12:33 am
I ran several races in the past months but my experience during the 34th Milo Marathon was different. After running 10k and barely getting water at the hydration areas (there was practically not enough for the anticipated number of runners especially on the way back)I was hoping to get some instead after crossing the finish line. Once I got there, it was so crowded I could barely get more than the 2 gulps they gave each runner. There was not enough room for the finishers and not enough space to comfortably get some water. I was frustrated and wanted to get out of the huge crowd and avoid the sun. I proceeded to a less crowded area and suddenly had a fainting spell. I ran several 10k races and did not even experience this! I felt my face burning up and I was so dizzy I had to find a place to sit down. Good thing I was with a good friend who rushed to get me a small cup of water from the crowded hydration area I avoided earlier.
I think that the Milo Marathon was poorly planned, and they failed to ensure that the most important part of the race does not fail – the hydration areas.
With this sad news about the deaths and my experiance of nearly passing out because of dehydration, I don’t think I’m running on next year’s Milo Marathon.
July 14th, 2010 at 12:41 am
my deepest condolences..
i wanted to know the full email of Remus father, if maybe i can forward it to our news team (am from GMA7) so they can have a full story about Remus and other runners who suffered last 34th Milo Marathon. His story deserves to be aired so we all can learn the lessons from it.
July 14th, 2010 at 1:51 am
i would like to extend my sincere condolences to his family and friends
Actually I ran 42K in this event it’s such a sad story to know that there’s one fellow runner who passed away in this race.
I have noticed aside of there was no proper hydration,there’s no devoted martials who will willing to stay until all runners arrived in finish line to assist them. I experienced a lot of disappointment here.
again, thank you for sharing this story..I support your plight and hopefully this will be an eye-opener to all enthusiasts and organizers..
in regard with this, I would like to request for a copy of the note original document mentioned in the “note” above to further understand the circumstances..
thank you.
July 14th, 2010 at 2:08 am
Something like this just happened few weeks back in Malaysia during the Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur Marathon 2010..
A runner running 10km route have collapsed approximately around 8km mark..
The medical aid came around 15 to 20 minutes after the victim have collapsed.. The victim went into seizure then cardiac arrest..
There were few government officers(traffic wardens) nearby.. They were on big bike,. They just could not be bothered to help forget help for us..
Few runners was taking turn to perform CPR on the victim.. No sign of help anywhere.. Finally an ambulance came,, they were not equipped with AED or even BVM..
The organizing committees are not giving us the public any proper explanation and they just kept quiet and hope that they can sweep this under the carpet..
I hate all these organizing committees as they are only concerned with the profit they are going to make from this event..
Here is the Facebook link to that incident
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=122429187800137
July 14th, 2010 at 6:46 am
To Rudy, my brother,
Don’t let those irresponsible people get away with their failure which caused Remus death.If possible let them rot in jail so that they will not caused any “lapses” again to anybody.
Sue everybody including the company for hiring incompetent people without an iota of brain to think the dangers of marathon.It is only common sense to anticipate the dangers of the last lapses of the marathon.
July 14th, 2010 at 8:38 am
To those asking where they can go for the wake, sorry… Remus body was cremated last Saturday, July 10 at Loyola Guadalupe, Makati.
Even after one week since he died, no traditional media (TV, Newspaper, radio) picked the story so only close friends were in the wake. Only my detailed story here triggered the blogs. I personally tried to bring the story to the leading newspaper of the country yesterday afternoon, they initially indicated interests when they asked few more details. But late last night , I was called & told me that they are not printing the story. Reasons given are that it is old story and that they already printed the story in Sports page (One sentence at end of long paragraph about a runner who died, no name)
You bloggers are my only venue now to spread the story, for that I am thankful to all.
July 14th, 2010 at 10:07 am
This is truly saddening. My heartfelt condolences to you Mr. Rudy Fuentes and your family.
May Remus’ soul rest in peace.
July 14th, 2010 at 10:13 am
thank you for all the kindess sir remus..my prayers are with you and your family..rest and peace our beloved remus:’(
July 14th, 2010 at 10:41 am
This is truly sad.. Our sincere condolences to the whole family. I am Orly’s sister and we are deeply moved upon learning of your brother’s story. We support your stand in any way we can. God bless all your endeavors.
July 14th, 2010 at 10:42 am
My sincere condolences to the family of Remus. I did not join the Milo Marathon but I just want to share my thoughts on this . I’ve been joining races since 2007. I would usually run 10ks, a couple of 15Ks and just this year, 21ks(earth run and freedom run.
I suffered my first heart attack during the RunNew run (February)last year. I came prepared with my own water (fuel) belt so hydration was not the problem. I was supposed to do a 15K but suddenly felt tired at the 6thK, I walked a bit and pushed it till the 8thK where I collapsed. I was lucky that the run was sponsored by the Asian Hospital. Amongst all the races I have joined, THAT run had the most ambulances going around…not to mention doctors who were doing their rounds…or participating in the race. I was brought to the Asian Hospital, found out I had two blocked arteries,had my angioplasty/open heart surgery a few days after…and in short..alive to be sending this email.
I’m sending this email to encourange and strongly suggest that organizers set up medical stations (even as much as water stations) during races. Medical stations should be able to communicate immediately with ambulances that are required to do the rounds. One ambulance is definitely not enough.
There are trained runners and beginners.All runners tend to push themselves to beat personal records. Many runners do not know their limits and as the saying goes “The spirit is willing..the body is not”. Organizers should be conscious of this and mitigate accidents that may happen by really preparing for the race…in fact, better to be “over” prepared than ill prepared. Organizers cannot afford to do “short cuts”, lives are at stake…I would have lost mine last year.
July 14th, 2010 at 11:02 am
I have already heard rumors that somebody had died during the Milo Marathon but up until I read this blog, the rumor had not been confirmed. The news blackout is really very unusual since media tends to pick up even the most trivial of stories. The death of Remus during the marathon should have made to the front pages of our national dailies but the eerie silence is creepy. The organizers should be made to answer for their lack of foresight.
My most sincere condolences to the grieving family of Remus. May you find justice for Remus.
July 14th, 2010 at 11:04 am
My condolences to the family of REMUS….I ran that 34th MILO marathon too; i agree with Remus Father, i am having goosebumps right now…. there was not enough hydration stops for the MILO event, if there wasn’t enough HYDRATION stops, they should have made a rule that those running the 21k should have their own Hydration belts since 21k really needs lot of hydration for the runner. Also there was not enough marshals, security was ok, there was lots of policeman. but the police aren’t marshals you know…. clearly, this is an event wherein the event organizer didn’t care about the welfare of the runner and only cared about the maximum exposure of the sponsoring brand…. GROSS GROSS NEGLIGENCE…. and in the case of Ospital ng Maynila, i may not be a medical practitioner, but basing it on common sense, when you ran that much you are dehydrated, and on my experience, paracetamol can cause dehydration… maybe that caused the seizure… just sharing though… once again, i’m not a medical practitioner. it is just my own opinion…
July 14th, 2010 at 11:13 am
my deepest condolences to the grieved family of sir Remus Fuentes…
July 14th, 2010 at 11:34 am
deepest sympathy and sincerest condolences to the bereaved family of Remus…
God bless his soul and may He rest in peace.
I am also a 21K runner @ the 34th milo marathon held last july 4. Is is indeed hot that day. There is not enough hydration stations for the long range runners. Especially at the macapagal stretch, wherein I would say the really hottest area to run that day. Since there were no trees or building that could somehow give shade from the sun. If mu assumption is correct, the hydration distance is around 5KM from the last hydration staion in roxas blvd. then the next hydration station is at the corner of vicente sotto and roxas blvd. Considering the temp that dat, this hydration station is not enough to support the hydration needs of all long range runners. Plus I agree that there really is no water supply on the last 4KM of the race. There is a station but no available water. Plus that starting area which around 500 to 600 meters to the finish line is already crowded due to all 5KM runners taking pictures. This actually cause a traffic to the runners who is about to finish. These are not simple lapses but a clear mistakes on the part of the organizer. Perhaps, the organizer are not runner them selves. Because they do not know the needs of the runners. I am not going to join any race organized by the same organizing team that handled milo marathon.
To you my fellow runners, I suggest to check first if you can trust the organizing committee if ever you are going to join a half or full marathon event.
Again, may this all be a lesson to the organizing team.
July 14th, 2010 at 11:36 am
I ran the 42k too in the last Milo Marathon and noticed that there’s no hydration stations at the last loop and in the 42k’s turnaround point towards the end. One reason I see why the traditional media doesn’t pick up the story (I highly doubt why don’t get this much more local media love sensationalization) is that perhaps some threat from ***** that they’ll be pulling out their advertisements should they publish this. After all, Milo is still Milo yet I think this deserves proper attention. Sounded this off too in my FB.
My sincere condolences.
July 14th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
im not a runner nor a sports person but this caught my attention. as my support to the family, i will not patronize milo product anymore. my condolences to the family.
July 14th, 2010 at 1:35 pm
have you observed lately that marathon events has become revenue generating activities for the organizers? Big bucks ey!
it is no longer about advocacies.
meron nga dyan – “Run! Save the Dolphins”. huh? gaano ba kadami population ng dolphins sa pilipinas?
ang ganang akin lamang.
July 14th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
This is really tragic. My sincere condolences to Remus’ family. I’m sure losing a loved one during a supposedly “safe” event is absolutely gut wrenching.
July 14th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
…gone too soon…Remus’ story marked another running history. No one to be blamed, no one is responsible for anyone’s life. For those like us who are into this sport, make this a lesson to take extra care /safety measures of running. To the family of Remus, he only went ahead of us. To the running organizers, take this seriously or else you will lose your job!!
July 14th, 2010 at 2:32 pm
Why is it that Ospital ng Maynila ER doctors failed to pinpoint that it was heatstroke? Could they be charged of anything?
July 14th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
My condolences to the family. What a tragedy
I noticed in his picture that it looked like he wasn’t perspiring. His clothes were wet probably from perspiring earlier, but then his arm, neck and face seem to be really dry. That is one of the indications that one is severely dehydrated–the body stops producing sweat to conserve fluids, therefore making it hard for the body to cool itself down through perspiration.
July 14th, 2010 at 2:55 pm
Remus is the most kindest person i have ever known. He’s so soft-spoken and careful with each words he lets out. For sure, he was well-loved and will be surely missed. His journey in this world ends and a new one awaits him on the other side. Push on my friend!
July 14th, 2010 at 3:23 pm
this is really sad, though i have not ran the milo marathon, i know how hard running a marathon because i ran the 22k marathon of north face and they had really great hydration system and there were ample amount of bottled water, i mean overflowing and to think milo is a huge company and been advertising their marathon how come they fell short of the most important things in a marathon? but also as a runner, we should also secure ourselves with our own hydration pack that carries 2 liters of water it might not last the whole 22k but still a big help.
condolence to the Remus family, may this be a lesson to us all.
July 14th, 2010 at 3:44 pm
I am deeply saddened by this unfortunate incident. I would like to extend my condolences to Remus’ family. It seems that organizers need a wake up call to prevent things like these from happening. Things like his father’s vigilance are needed to raise the awareness levels of those who are into this kind of sport.
July 14th, 2010 at 4:10 pm
I ran on this 34th Milo Marathon and one thing that got me really disappointed was, how it was organized. So chaotic … they should have separated the serious runners from the students and those that are not serious about running.
My wife and I ran the 5K category which took us more than an hour to finish, why? The road was full or students, sunday walkers with pets (yes, pets akala ko nga bawal eh) those with strollers (akala ko din bawal … narinig ko pa yung tatay na nagtutulak, hindi na yan mahahalata).
Instead of running, you’ll have to walk your way to the finish line. Ang dami pang magugulo na kasabay ng mga runners. There were a group young gays (students ata yun) na keeps on shouting Piolo and other celebrity names. The tendency was, yung nasa unahan namin titigil at titingin sa likod, minsan humihinto pa which is distracting talaga sa mga runners.
One word to describe that run … chaotic!
July 14th, 2010 at 4:44 pm
this is very bereaving..
I hope Remus’ family will continue to live life happily inspite of this. I’m sure there’s a purpose to his death..and I hope that that purpose is what his father said: for every single one of us to know the value of human life esp. the organizers.
I can’t blame Remus’ father to condemn the organizers. It’s really a clear sign of negligence on their part not to have medical aid ready and not to have provided their runners (which are supposed to be their partners at that time) with enough hydration.
this is really sad.
July 14th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
I am shocked and saddened by Remus’ fate in the sport I love. My condolences to his wife and two kids, and his parents. I cannot imagine how difficult it is to lose somebody so loved so soon:-(
And let this be a lesson to all runners. Always be self-reliant, and always hydrate! Race events in the Philippines are not even close to how it is organized abroad. The weather is also another consideration so expect local runs to be tougher and more trying…
July 14th, 2010 at 7:08 pm
our deepest sympathy! – runner/son of lourdes and my family
July 14th, 2010 at 7:17 pm
I used to work in a construction site in Abu Dhabi where temperature is extremely dangerous for laborers working under the soaring heat of the sun. He had heat stroke and the first aid given was to wrap him talaga in something cold, the safety department was more than ready with ice packs and all, if the first aiders at the milo run knows what to do in such cases I think maaagapan talaga. At that time I thought that the laborer will not make it kse para na syang nauulol.. pero while waiting for the ambulance they did what was necessary kaya di na humantong sa loss…
July 14th, 2010 at 7:39 pm
This is a tragedy.
I have a suggestion. Perhaps the Philippine running community should start organizing an annual run (5K, 10K, 21K, 42K etc.) in memory of Remus Fuentes. Charitable donations and any incremental proceeds from the race should help out Remus’ family (example: scholarships for his children).
However, the ONE different thin about this annual memorial race is that it needs first class organization. Hydration stations, emergency health volunteers, course management, should be world class.
July 14th, 2010 at 8:20 pm
Running is a good thing. Finishing a marathon course, whether 5k, 10k or full, is something to be proud of – it is a personal achievement. But, no amount of training can provide for lack of hydration in a course.
Bringing your own hydration is fine, but first and foremost, the organizers have the responsibility to organize sufficient hydration for the runner. This is not a running competition based on who is the best equipped with fancy or diy hydration systems, to win or finish the race – it is about running, period. Unless this is intentional, then it should have been specified in the rules during sign up – BRING YOUR OWN WATER, in bold, large font letters.
Preparation can only take you so much… try to imagine carrying a 3L camel pack in a hot, sweaty day with hundreds of people around you… Hoping you reach the 42km finish line with sufficient water – some things just doesn’t work.
When you’ve been responsible enough to have trained for the run, the only thing left is unforeseen circumstances – unexpected temperatures, overexertion, some unknown medical reason you personally are not yet aware of… standby medical personnel should be available for that. Thats a good organizers job.
I’ve run 10k and 21k in the Hong Kong Standard Chartered Marathon, and there were organizers, medics, police spaced apart probably every 250-400meters. You’ll never get far without seeing one of the organizers. There were many water stations, far more than what was indicated in the original route map. All you had to do was make your best effort to run to the finish line. Its a highly successful event. Yes, there are a few casualties here and there, but the medics and water were always available or nearby. It was the event’s 14th year for – Wait, Milo is in its 34th year? Shouldn’t it have more experience in handling marathons? …………
July 14th, 2010 at 8:28 pm
Tsk,tsk,tsk. Condolence po…
July 15th, 2010 at 12:48 am
my condolences to the family of remus.i hope (& i know) this will be an eye opener for many of us..race organizers and runners alike..this is really depressing..sna huli na to.God bless remus and his family.
July 15th, 2010 at 1:12 am
My condolences to the family of Remus.
I can’t believe no network has picked up this news-worthy story. Kapuso, kapamilya, kapatid — where are you when we need you?
July 15th, 2010 at 1:20 am
May Remus’s family find comfort in God’s loving arms in this time of mourning…
Our sincerest condolences to the family from Ras Al Khaimah
July 15th, 2010 at 1:33 am
My deepest condolences to Fuentes Family.
On these coming weekend its my first 16km run and 21km run on August 01.
And I will tag these message;
“TRIBUTE TO REMUS” on my back.
Rest in peace my fellow runner.
July 15th, 2010 at 1:51 am
did the organizers provided enough water thoughout the course?
did he drink water in between stations?
July 15th, 2010 at 3:15 am
1st my deepest condolences to the family of mr.remus fuentes i also register my self to join dat milo run but unfortunately i sufferd knee injury wed.b4 d sunday run but now bec of ds incident plus d shortcomings of d organizer i realized m fortunate enough 4 not joining dat sunday milo run m also wondering how come no news fr d media abt ds incident ds thing should knw by a lot of people hindi puro politics cla na walang ka kwenta kwenta or baka naman d media s trying to protect the co. who organized ds event m jst asking…to sir rudy tnx 2 al ur tips abt heatstroke im an active person i do bdminton,running n mountain biking those tips r big help agen sir my condolences.
July 15th, 2010 at 3:30 am
37 years is far far too young for a person to be taken away, and through such a horrible way to go – to think this is already the thirty-fourth time that Milo has held this marathon event, one would ponder that they would have installed a more responsible organizing team in place!
I can only continue to hope for the comfort of Remus’ family in this time of mourning.
RIP RSF. We will not forget you.
July 15th, 2010 at 4:27 am
Anyone who has info on where the remains of Remus Fuentes lies or where the interment is going to be, kindly post it here bec. we want to pay our respects to a fellow runner….thank you.
July 15th, 2010 at 6:47 am
Bless you, Terry Endozo.I just hope Milo is not one of the sponsors of GMA7.
July 15th, 2010 at 7:04 am
let this serve as a lesson. negligence indeed on the part of the organizers.
how about a simple physical exam together with the FEE they ask for on registration so they can check if the participants are actually fit to run.
also how about some ambulances that tail the group in the course of the run?
July 15th, 2010 at 7:25 am
Maybe the media doesn’t want this story out because they’re afraid ***** will pull out their advertisements.
July 15th, 2010 at 7:45 am
This is a very sad story…My condolences to the Fuentes family.
I’m appalled not only at the incompetence of the marathon organizers but also of the medical personnel @ the hospital where Remus was brought to. When I worked as a Veterinarian in Southern California, heat strokes is very common – even in pets. Every summer, we get lots of dogs that suffer from heatstroke – most of them from being left outside or in a car. The first thing we do to these patients is to put them on ice water bath & administer IV fluids to try to get their body temperatures lowered ASAP to prevent brain damage .In the 3 summers that I was in CA, we only lost 1 dog to brain damage (out of probably 3 dozens) primarily because it was almost comatose when it was brought to us. It would be safe to assume that managing heat strokes would be the same for pets & humans. It’s sad that the doctors who admitted him apparently didn’t know what to do. It appears also that he wasn’t even diagnosed properly to begin with. What a shame. Mr. Rudy Fuentes should also go after the Hospital Ng Maynila personnel who mismanaged the case of his son.
July 15th, 2010 at 8:26 am
our deepest condolences to a our fellow runner. . . may his soul rest in peace!
July 15th, 2010 at 9:43 am
If somebody was keeping what really happened in the 34th Milo Marathon last July 4, 2010 from going out to the public, I suggest somebody organize a big rally to announce to the public and to get the attention of the media, who have no sponsorship from Milo.This bad practice must stop once and for all and no more death caused by the mistakes of those organizers who did not do their jobs properly.
I am calling those bloggers who were there too and witnessed those mistakes, those fellow runners and other runners, all Remus’ friends and co workers, HP, the company where he worked,everyone who value human life and most especially Remus’ relatives and their friends.Make his death the end of this organizer’s so called “lapses” so that nobody will suffer anymore.
July 15th, 2010 at 9:58 am
condolences to the Remus family. i usually run 3K and during the earth run at the fort, the hydration station is very poor, on the 1st station, there is water but no plastic cups. That gave me a lesson to always bring a small bottled water and not to expect from the organizers.
July 15th, 2010 at 12:04 pm
condolence to the Fuentes family… may the story of Remus be a warning to all of us runners to properly prepare in every running event that we will be joining.. do not finish the race because of PR when you felt something while running.. to all the organizers, please take note of all the comments so that this can be addressed in future races particularly that it happened in an event sponsored by Milo who has been conducting marathons in the last 34 yrs.
July 15th, 2010 at 1:03 pm
condolences and prayers to the family
July 15th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
I agree that there has been a media blackout on Remus’ death. So far, there has been NOTHING in the newspapers, TV, radio… NOTHING. The news is circulating only in blogs and forums (and thankfully, in the mailing lists of running clubs!)
But seriously, they have all the reasons to “protect” this event. This must be one of their largest revenue-generating ventures… just imagine: 27,000 participants and each one of them is required to purchase a 300-gram pack to register in the race. That doesn’t even consider the reg fee on top of that.
July 15th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
I was wondering why emergency dialysis was not done.
July 15th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
sad 2 hear that… My deepest sympathy and sincerest condolences to Remus family. post ko i2 sa FB and tagged ko yung mga runner friends ko.
July 15th, 2010 at 3:04 pm
Condolences to the Family.
July 15th, 2010 at 3:07 pm
Condolence to the family of Remus.
Milo should be responsible to all the runners. They are the organization and all runners were pre registered. They knew before hand how many people had entered the race and the KM’s entered before the start of the event.They should have standby ambulance and medics ready for any unfortunate events. Water is suppose to be available at any given point especially the final stretch where all runners are already dehydrated. Since they had been organizing such event annually, they should have been prepared and studied all possibility. If this had happened to foreigners I think it would be a big news item.
July 15th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
I am saddened by what happened to your son. Yes, I agree that the organizer(s) should improve on emergency responses, not just ambulances for props! In another race last year, our friend was dehyrdated and we wanted to establish an IV but lo ande behold….no IV! I won’t mention what else is NOT there…
To race organizers….more water stations please…and please pay more attention to runners that finishes last…they don’t get and I bet, won’t get any medical attention when something bad happens…
July 15th, 2010 at 3:56 pm
condolence to remus family i think milo organizer is liable to his death.
July 15th, 2010 at 4:10 pm
My condolences to Remus’ family! I parked that same morning at the Ospital ng Maynila hoping that all will be well for all participants such as myself and the last any of the runners would conclude the races of the day. I hope that ‘lapses’ will be addressed meaningfully hereon but it is a risk all runners face, one less likely to fall on deaf ears. May God grant you grace to rise above these challenges and fill the void of a great and sad loss.
July 15th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
the organizers should have planned the event carefully. Lapses are not acceptable when a life is involved. The emergency medical team should have been there in a few minutes. This could have been prevented. What a waste! My sincerest condolences to Remus’ family.
July 15th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
Hi. I want to have an interview with Remus’ father. Can you email me his contact details. I’m from a national broadsheet. Thank you.
July 15th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
My condolences. Milo Run was really disorganized. I myself ran at 5k only but it looks more like an “alay lakad” instead of a real run. Most runners have cameras taking shots of themselves, of friends and you will hear them saying “pang-facebook ito”. First water stop has no water at all (I arrived at 6:35am, I was late and there were still lots of students who even has placards of their schools while walking). “Fun Run” as they say for 5k and 3k, still Milo should anticipate that there’s a lot of serious runners on those categories. Indeed, Milo helped a lot of kids to have a pair of shoes, still, we can’t deny the fact that it was so disorganized and one runner died (or more). I hope this will serve as a lesson to all Run Organizers…My condolences again…
July 15th, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Shame on that newspaper which was not published the story!!! Are they afraid?. Shame on the Organizer, they might be an old school and outdated. I always decide to run 21K if the organizer is Coach Rio.
July 15th, 2010 at 8:26 pm
I also collapsed during my 21k run at nature valley last may 30, 2010. I was brought to st. lukes fort bonifacio immediately by the ambulance, I suffered from heatstroke and loss of electrolytes. Drinking water to hydrate is not enough you have to drink sports drinks which have sodium and potassium. To all runners that are planning to run 21k or 42k please read this article it might help. http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/6/6_1/1179.shtml
my deepest condolences to the family of Remus.
July 15th, 2010 at 9:57 pm
there’s apparently a news blackout on this and other similar Milo Marathon incidents. thus, thanks to this website for publishing this, apparently caring about runners (like me) learning from this experience more than doing Milo a favor.
we all have important lessons learned from this very sad experience. Mr. Remus seems correctly positioned to seek justice for the organizers’ lapses.
July 15th, 2010 at 10:03 pm
firstly, my deepest condolences to Remus’ family. I cannot start to fathom the difficulty you are going through. I pray that He give you all the support your family needs in this trying times.
Secondly, looking at how Milo has been an irresponsible entity in this predicament, i recommend that you look into legal means to sanction them for this mishap. If you can establish negligence in the process, im sure responsible people will be punished.
July 15th, 2010 at 11:23 pm
First, condolence to the family of Remus. Second, I wanted to quote this because it bothered me: “…the medical attendant told us he had fever. She introduced paracetamol intravenously twice at interval of about 15 minutes. Remus continued having seizures even until the arrival of Medical City doctor & ambulance attendants that we have arranged for his transfer…” I’m not exactly the best person in the world but abuse of Paracetamol can cause potentially fatal liver damage or affect kidney function which could be heightened if the night before he ran he had alcohol intake which leads me to quoting this: “…Blood Chemistry results showed positive creatinine level, an indication of kidney failure. They suspected liver failure too…” With this, I conclude that the positive creatinine level is caused by the kidney failure which is due to the liver failing which was caused by the Paracetamol being abused. If my hypothesis is correct then the medical attendant has a lot to answer for… I’m just saying that this is what “could’ve happened”… although, this could not bring back Remus’ life, I hope this would remove the fear of running again.
July 15th, 2010 at 11:45 pm
I finally got to read the full story of a runner who died during the Milo marathon. And it made my heart feel heavy, thinking that this death could have been prevented, two kids lost a father, his parents lost a son… my sincerest condolences to those Remus left behind.
No matter the incompetence of the organizers in handling a marathon with this large volume of participants, they were expert at one thing — news blackout. I couldn’t find anything in Google. Remus’ story is important in that it could prevent other lives being lost.
Yes, the runner has a responsibility to make sure he/she is properly trained and sufficiently hydrated. But the organizers should also be prepared, if not to prevent such things from happening, then responding immediately to medical emergencies. I just refer to previous comments on how a marathon should be properly handled.
First, they wanted the prestige of having a record number of participants in the marathon. They should have made sure there were enough provisions for such large numbers. That is, if they don’t want to limit the number of participants as is done in other events for practical purposes and to ensure the safety of participants.
Second, there is no excuse for having shortage of water. It was a marathon for heaven’s sake! Knowing the climate of our country, knowing the nature of the sport, knowing there were 40,000+ participants. That was sheer incompetence and stupidity on the part of the organizers.
There are many other points already made in other comments.
Last but not least, protecting their reputation by imposing a news blackout connotes insensitivity to the loss of a life. Not acknowledging or ignoring Remus’ death as if it never happened shows the selfishness and greed. Just to preserve their reputation so they can do the same mistake year in and year out and waste valuable lives so they can attract more runners the following year…
July 16th, 2010 at 12:16 am
My deepest condolences to the Family of Remus Fuentes.
It was my first 21k and it was not because i have already run several marathons and that i wanted to join it but because of some crazy idea that if i can pysc my self to run in a familiar place i might have the chance to finish a fraction before the curfew,from running 3k and 5k, a goal i set to my self that i wanted the first medal would be from Milo. I saw other runners fall, stop, as i pass them by because they were injured and thought to my self that i probly is doing something right that i was able to continue almost to the goal… After learning about what happened to Remus, i felt so stupid… I had such limited knowledge that i lack the those things i should know and to be prepared… i did stop at all the rehydration stations and take as much liquid as i can an even pour water on me because of the heat… but that was on our way to the first circle… but when we head back to Roxas blvd and made the uturn… i started to realize that the water station is on the other side… i saw a group of people by the center aisle with colored blue coolers but they where just seating down and i thought probly they are a support team for a specific group of runners (friends, Family) only by chance that i got to see other runners scrambling on the other group with the coolers that they passby again that i realize that it was water… so i stopped and even asked for water. they gave me but i just thought that its suppose to be handed out…. then i never saw any water station again specially after they already opened the lane to the on coming vehicles. i also observed that the water station stopped preparing and filling water cups, the merchandisers of each water sponsors just sat next to an un-opened boxes of bottled water. they just stopped probly because of the bandits and passersby flock them for the free water but knowing who to give them is easy for all the runners have milo singlets…
i don’t want to sound that i am lucky… What i did was stupid.
I felt sad after learning the news about Remus. As MR. Rudy Fuentes mentions the negligence of the organizers and how they persieved the Marathon poorly… that if i was not acting according to my instinct i could have also suffered…
This is not about me. apologize Mr. Fuentes for writing my thoughts… its just an eye opener that even if you have been well trained, learnered, well informed, a pro… but if the organizers overlooked and failed to provide what each athlete needs this things will happen.
July 16th, 2010 at 12:38 am
this is a sad story…though it can be prevented…it saddens me that a life must be spared before the ORGANIZERS will make efforts to amend their “help group system”. they should have tapped resources, from the volunteer groups or private individuals…to further strengthen their manpower, especially in giving aid to those who need them…in sports, there are no accidents, because it can be scientifically prevented…my prayers go to you Remus, wherever you are..I know, you are at peace…God bless the Fuentes family.
July 16th, 2010 at 12:46 am
“There was none of organizer’s ambulance nor marshalls to respond in the incident”, WHAT?!? It’s the organizer’s responsibility to arrange everything for their activities. Ambulance or medical team is very important in this marathon. If First Aid has been given after the incident maybe this might not happen. It only shows that they are incompetent in doing such activity! Question,what action Milo Marathon Team did? Hope this serves as a lesson for the organizer’s! Proper planning is really important and thinking of the pros and cons.
Condolence to the Remus family!
July 16th, 2010 at 2:15 am
yes…mr. fuentes, keep working for your son’s justice…let that good thing come out of your son’s untimely death….condolence po
July 16th, 2010 at 6:55 am
I dont know Remus Fuentes personally but am also an ex_Intellites. Sad to read and learn about this story . Hoping that succeding Milo Marathon runs will have no more of this neglect .
My condolences to the family or Remus.
July 16th, 2010 at 7:49 am
my condolences sir…
a lot of people in the forum are saying that there was a shortage of water/gatorade during the 34th milo marathon.
i ran the 5k and indeed there was such a thing. one of the reason, in my opinion, is that there were “runners” who lacked race etiquette and were there only as a requirement for their p.e. class
July 16th, 2010 at 9:53 am
condolence to the family and loved ones of Remus family
July 16th, 2010 at 10:39 am
it is sooo sad!
i organized a lot of running events in Singapore so I know that it could be FATAL wen you make “lapses” in organizing the event. It is not acceptable! Organizers should have the right mindset to be very very safe than be profitable that is why you have to have more than enough water points. Not just 1 ambulance, paramedics should be scattered in the route. Marshalls with radios should be swarming the place. People r given maps prior to the event so they know wer they can find the nearest water points, medical assistance & washroom. The government requires a lot of things when we secure a permit for the event. I surmised the organizer stinged on these things bec they want to maximize thr profit? it is rather disconcerting.. My deepest condolences.
July 16th, 2010 at 10:45 am
Another disheartening story. I hope an in-depth inquisition is being done to get to the bottom of this, to ensure that this is not repeated. May this also serve as reminder to everyone in the running community – to be careful and careful.
We’ll pray for the repose of his Remus’ soul. Our condolences to his family.
July 16th, 2010 at 11:30 am
justice for kuya, and his kids.
everyone must learn from this.
July 16th, 2010 at 11:45 am
Condolence to the family of Remus.
The organizers of the event should be sued for their sheer neglect in ensuring the safety of the runners (who paid fees just to join). Their ‘humanitarian’ assistance will never suffice to pay the grief that his family is undergoing and will continue to undergo for the rest of their lives. Unless someone’s head roll to pay for what happened, the organizers and others who cash on these runs will never improve and never learn. They will just seek shelter in the waiver that we runners sign.
July 16th, 2010 at 12:26 pm
I was deeply saddened by the horrible incident. My deepest condolences to the family. He has brought Remus into a better place, God is good.
July 16th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
Our condolence to Remus and his family form his SOL brothers.
Taking into consideration that the Milo Marathon has been “running” for over 30 years, it is difficult to understand that they are still “learning”. For an event like this, lapses may be expected, but not for “BASIC” marathon needs. I am sure that the organizers already had an idea of the volume they expect to join. It is but basic that they prepare for this and even have contingencies. This is (for me) negligence and not “lapses”.
To future runners or to all sports enthusiasts, especially for really gruelling and taxing events such as marathons (even duathlons and triathlons), let us all try prepare for the unexpected. Anything can happen during a sporting event and we must be vigilant and prepared. Bring an event buddy, bring your support group, bring adequate supplies… Be over prepared.
To Mr. Rudy Fuentes, I wish you luck for the justice you are seeking.
Remus… rest in peace and God Bless.
July 16th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
I was deeply saddened by this news, knowing that there were actions that the organizers could have taken beforehand to avoid this kind of misfortune. This is one occasion where first aid and vigilance in the part of the organizing team could have played a significant role. This has been one way of learning in a painful way. Let this incident be a guide to future running events to provide precautionary measures to steer clear off fatal mistake.
To Remus’ family, my sincere condolences.
July 16th, 2010 at 1:55 pm
my condolence to the family..I know the feeling of loosing a love one..and there is no certain words to help them to ease the pain..it really took a lifetime..Again my earnest condolence..I will includes you in my prayer..
July 16th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
what a saddened death..my earnest condolence..
July 16th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
My Deepest symphaty to the family. just read this news from my batchmate. I felt bad about this hopefully the organizer should make to this..
To my fellow Runners we run for happiness not for this kind. take care always…
To Remus: May you Rest in Peace Bro!
July 16th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
I am the running buddy of Kuya Remus Fuentes. I was with him from the start till he was going to be brought to The Medical City. To think that all of this could have been prevented if only the organizers were more competent! He taught me along with his brother Roy how run the 21K. This should have a been a great event but it turned out tragic. I am deeply affected by Kuya’s passing and its not even half of what the family’s feeling right now. I will never forget Kuya for his kindness and friendship. I hope and pray that those responsible will get what they deserve. My every run is dedicated to kuya! Un dream ni Kuya na 42k kakayanin!
P.S. Roy’s time was 01:45:54.
July 16th, 2010 at 4:13 pm
our deepest condolences to your family.our thoughts and prayers are with you.MAY REMUS REST IN PEACE!!!!!
July 16th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs018.snc4/34254_411172914908_131448834908_4257689_4145193_n.jpg
A reply from Milo. Grabe. what are they trying to say in here? That it is solely Remus’ fault? that all the water/gatorade stations are doing okay for the entire run? Na hindi naubusan? na di fit si Mr. Fuentes? grabe.
July 16th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
I may not these people but this story is heart-breaking especially when the person you loved died in front of you. My deepest condolence to Remus and his family.
July 16th, 2010 at 5:23 pm
I am one of the running friends of Kuya Remus. I also ran in the 21k of the now becoming infamous 34th Milo Marathon. The last time I saw him alive was at about the 15th km of the race. We, his friends and his brother Roy, were waiting for him to finish the race. But it didn’t happen.
The next time we saw him was at the Ospital ng Maynila. Unconscious. We stayed with him until he was transferred to Medical City. “Any minute now, he will be ok”, seems to be the common thought amongst us while we sit and wait at the emergency room. “Any minute now he will be fine.” “Any minute now there will be good news”. But it didn’t happen.
I went back for a visit the next day. I met his wife and some of his office mates. Everybody was very positive that he will be awake anytime soon. Inside the ICU room, I was compelled to talk to him hoping one of his fingers would move, or eyelids, or any tiny response. But it didn’t happen.
“Maybe he still needs more time to rest” I told myself. “Besides, he ran 21km”. “Maybe tomorrow, he will wake up”. But it didn’t happen. He passed away the next day.
Now running will never be the same for us. We feel sad because he is already gone. But we also feel terribly upset, because the organizers are keeping silent about this case and the media seem to be avoiding it. His story needs to be heard. His family deserves justice. We want this to happen.
We are scheduled to run on July 18 at the Fort ( OROFOLs) and on Aug 1 at MOA(Rexona Run). We usually train at the ULTRA track oval in Pasig. If you happen to be a participant at the 34th Milo Marathon, approach us. You can help us prove that there were negligence in the part of the organizers. If you’re a fellow runner, approach us just the same. You can help us move on.
July 16th, 2010 at 6:05 pm
On Milo’s Statement on Remus, they forgot to add:
“but lapses occur and that they will learn from these lapses”
at the end of the statement.
July 16th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Jeff, can you blow up Milo Statement – Forsaken (#126)? so all can read easily?
Thanks Rudy
July 16th, 2010 at 6:31 pm
Hi,
I was saddened by the tragic news condolonce Mr. Fuentes hope you’ll find justice to your son.
July 16th, 2010 at 6:53 pm
i heard rumors that every year in this Milo Marathon Event, one or two individual dies.. hope that this wouldn’t happen again on the next planned marathons ahead or any kinds of event.. rest in peace Remus.. my condolences to his famliy.
July 16th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
it’s the first time i learned about this incident. all the while, i was sooooo complaining about the chaos at the baggage station. it didn’t occur to me that something this bad was happening at the same time. shame on me.
condolences to remus’ family.
July 16th, 2010 at 8:01 pm
FROM MILO’s Facebook page…
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4257689&id=131448834908
STATEMENT ON MILO MARATHON
We are deeply saddened by the passing away of Mr. Remus Fuentes, a participant of the July 4, 2010 MILO Marathon held in Luneta, Manila.
We reached out to Remus’ family as soon as we were informed. Our deepest sympathy is with his family during this most difficult time.
We assure participants that all the internationally recognized precautions had been taken by the organizer for the Manila leg of the MILO Marathon, specifically:
On hydration stations, according to the International Association of Athletics Federation
(lAAF), the rule is, for a race longer than 10 km, refreshment stations shall be provided at
approximately every 5 km along the race route. For mass races in a tropical country like the
Philippines, the same IAAF rule recommends to have water stations every 2.5 km, The Manila leg of the MILO Marathon had water stations installed every 2 km along the race path,
and in between each water station, there were Gatorade stations to ensure every runner had the opportunity to hydrate as necessary. On average, there was a hydration station around
every 1 km of the 21K race path. In total, there were 13 water stations, 10 Gatorade stations,
2 sponging stations, and 1 banana station strategically Iocated throughout the 13.5 km race loop.
On first aid, all MILO Marathons are fully equipped with first aid teams to attend to runners needing assistance. In the Manila race, for instance, there were 7 roving ambulances plying
the 13.5 km race loop, 15 medical stations, 5 teams of first aiders on bicycles, and nearly 500 marshals – policemen, traffic aids, and radio communicators – manning various points of the
race path. These marshals were equipped to immediately contact first aid stations and ambulances with trained crew and rescue facilities.
Like any vigorous sport, the marathon involves a certain amount of risk, especially for those who participate in longer distance events such as the 21K and the 42k. We would like to remind all
runners who plan to participate in the forthcoming MILO Marathons to adequately prepare before
the race, ensuring that they are properly conditioned mentally and physically. This includes undergoing the necessary training. getting enough rest, properly hydrating, and eating the right food
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Remus Fuentes at this very difficult time.
July 16th, 2010 at 8:36 pm
This story is sad.. condolences to the family. Milo should take responsiblity for what happened to Remus. If it wasn’t for this ‘fun run’ which turned out to be a ‘death run’ he would still be alive.
July 16th, 2010 at 9:29 pm
My condolences to the Remus’ Family… I feel so sad that this happened…
I hope next time in all Fun runs/races this will be anticipated by the organizers…
July 16th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
Great! Finally Milo answers.. I am Remus’ friend, officemate, runningmate – and we both ran that 21K event of the 34th Milo Marathon.
Good, there was ample water/drink stations – how about the supply to accomodate all the participants who paid for your “good” services?? Please respond if you actually had enough for everyone. Along that stretch, a kilometer away from the finish line, why was there none of your 500 marshals able to cover this incident? Isn’t it that obviously, runners along that stretch could be feeling the adverse effects of dehydration, fatigue, etc?? Why was there no ambulance, whose paramedics are well trained to handle situations of heat strokes, unlike the staff of that government hospital where Remus was brought??
BTW, speaking of preparedness for the run – Remus was definitely more fit than me. I did finish the race. You can check his FB where he posts his runs in preparation. He is a very desciplined person. This is not the first time he ran that distance – and you should know how a runner would strive to do better for every race. He complied to the scientific method of preparation for any event (10K or 21K).
The fact that he had a heat stroke due dehydration during that race remains. The fact that he was not covered by any of your marshals and paramedics remains. The fact that he was treated the wrong way at the hospital, which aggravated his case causing his death remains. All these facts are all due to negligence – where your organization plays a big part.
July 16th, 2010 at 11:58 pm
Dear Mang Rudy and Aling Santa:
This is Jabby Taningco, your former neighbor in (Dao St.) MRV in Pasig and a good friend of Remus. The news also came as a shock to me and please allow me to extend our family’s condolences to you and Remus’ wife and kids.
July 17th, 2010 at 12:33 am
To joseph_md: what an unethical comment! I hope you don’t find yourself involved with similar circumstances.
July 17th, 2010 at 4:01 am
May his soul be rest in peace.
Condolence to his family.
July 17th, 2010 at 4:55 am
I’ve been running for more than 2 years now and has a goal of running a full marathon this year. It is a shame for organizers not to learn from their previous marathons… and dami kong naririnig na mga flaws durin the race they have sponges pero wala naman daw tubig meron yung iba pero di naman malamig yung tubig…. di pa dumadaan yung last runner nakaligpit na daw yung water station… mga marshal nandun lang para magbantay pero they don’t know how to facilitate, wala silang alam… OO dapat ang mga runners should be training for it para masanay ang katawan lalo na sa mga long run. organizers should also listen sa concerns ng mga runner from previous marathons and should learn to correct it pero kung di naman naaayos madami pa ang pede mangyari sa mga susunod na marathons. bali wala ang isang fund raising kung kung di lahat nagkakaintindinhan from Milo to the organizers,to marshals and to the runners. nakatulong nga kami pero kung di naman natulungan or di nabigay ang panganga-ilangan ng runners kahit tubig lng; walang saysay ang lahat ng mga ito… my condolence to the family.
July 17th, 2010 at 8:46 am
My next run will be for you remus and your kids whom you left behind. Rest in Peace fellow runner..run for us there in heaven…peace
July 17th, 2010 at 9:24 am
My Condolences to you Paulo & to your cousins family, God bless, may you find justice to this battle of your family, we will continue to pray for you and remuse’s family, God bless and again our Condolences.
Ingrid
July 17th, 2010 at 9:46 am
My condolences to Remus’ family and friends.. May he rest in peace..
July 17th, 2010 at 10:37 am
this is indeed an eye-opener for me. i guess getting heatstroke was what worried my wife when i had my first ever 10km fun run last June 20 here in Brunei.
Condolence to the family of Remus.
July 17th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
My condolences to the family of Remus Fuentes. My family will pray for his him in his new journey. God bless!
-Glenn Ryan C. Catenza
LSM GS ’88
LSQC HS ’92
July 17th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
My deepest condolences to the family.
July 17th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
wow!!!! the nerve of the milo organizers to even say that “all the internationally recognized precautions had been taken. If there were enough ambulances that time, Remus would have been saved by immediate treatment when he collapsed! FYI MILO ORGANIZERS, Remus’ friend and some police brought him to the hospital bec. there were no ambulances available to help him. No amount of explanation would even satisfy what happened to him and also to the other unnamed runner who died…..You people are the same organizers of the miserable ROCK & RUN who made people run inspite of the hard rain, the lack of marshalls to secure the runners especially in the 21k who ran in the dark areas of the route and some women were allegedly harassed and heckled by bystanders. Enough of your explanations and instead do your best effort to appease Remus’ family in person. Do you even know what it feels for a parent to untimely lose a son??????
July 17th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
You Milo organizers are just making things more hurtful to Remus’ family. Is it really hard to make a public apology????
July 17th, 2010 at 5:50 pm
I think one of the most glaring point here was that NO IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE WAS GIVEN to Remus. And that’s where MILO failed miserably as the organizers of this event. In their statement, they said they deployed ambulances, first aid teams, etc during the marathon but where were those when Remus collapsed? Why call a taxi to bring him to the hospital if they 7 ambulances? The taxi was even hailed by policemen for goodness sake!
Let’s put aside runner’s pre-existing condition or organizer’s water ration and such. A runner simply collapsed. Isn’t it the organizer’s responsibility to give first aid to the victim? First aid is done “to prevent the present condition from worsening”. The fact that Remus was not even attended to by the organizer’s medical team on-site was a big contributing factor to his deterioration, and later on, his untimely demise.
There are cases where immediate medical attention draws the line between life and death, and this is a sad example of it.
July 18th, 2010 at 9:12 am
My question is why no press is interested in this tragic accident.Is there really a news blockout.If none then please take action or we would believe your saying that your news ay walang kinikilingan is b*s($t. Hoping to hear from you soon.
My condolences to the family of Remus.
July 18th, 2010 at 10:24 am
Condolence to mr. remus .Ts so sad to hear what happen but it shows courage and a fighting spirit to finish the 21k mark.Every runner gave there sympathy . Hope it will not happen again in any race. Always prepare yourself training,hydration,physically,mentally when it comes to a long distance race like 21k or full marathon. to the organizers of the milo marathon always think of the runners hydration thats our only fuel.To Mr.Remus we’ll finish the race…..
July 18th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
there are 27,000 runners that ran during the Milo Manila Leg we cannot expect that we can have medical assistance in a flash. I ran at the same 21km category. A bit lucky for Remus that he was still brought in hospital. There are runners who died instantly on races. What happened to Remus is God’s will, He has reason that we do not know, but we must accept. Precautions come first from ourselves, not from anybody. Stop blaming, if you really find that there is a culpable cause to Remus death file a complaint, seek justice formally and legally. Dont bring someone’s death into a circus of boohoos and blah blah. Make this be lesson to all us.
To the family of Remus, my deepest sympathy. There are reasons we cannot explain. I pray, that if you find that there’s a foul play on Remus death, that you may have justice. I also pray for your family that God give you strength in accepting Remus fate. and I pray for Remus soul that he may rest in peace with the Lord.
July 18th, 2010 at 2:17 pm
quoting from Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 18,2010:
quote:
“We received a report that a runner needed an ambulance and immediately dispatched one” said (Rudy) Biscocho (Marathon Organizer)
The ambulance, one of the event’s 7 units, did not find Fuentes there.
July 18th, 2010 at 7:10 pm
Philippine Daily Inquirer Article:
http://www.pinoyfitness.com/2010/07/phil-daily-inquirer-how-to-avoid-pitfalls-of-long-distance-race/
July 18th, 2010 at 8:04 pm
“We received a report that a runner needed an ambulance and immediately dispatched one” said (Rudy) Biscocho (Marathon Organizer)
The ambulance, one of the event’s 7 units, did not find Fuentes there.
If somebody indeed saw this and reported the incident then wouldnt he be on the scene informing remus’ running buddy that help is on the way. did they expect them to wait for help that might not even come or may come too late? here’s a little math for the organizers. 28k runners + 7ambulance = gross negligence.
July 18th, 2010 at 10:52 pm
I am sorry for your loss and thank you for sharing the message with us. As a stroke survivor (2-02-2004) and later joined the American Stroke Association to raise funds for Train To End Strokes, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of proper hydration and expert preparation for events such as this marathon. After 6 months of extensive training with TTES, I walked the June 4, 2006 San Diego marathon and completed only 16.3 miles. I decided to stop at 16.3 after paying attention to my body and my fear of having another stroke overwhelmed me. The experience was gratifying, nonetheless. It was a personal challenge more or less but my goal was to help raise money for the American Stroke Association and to bring awareness of the number one cause of long term disability in the US now.
I hope that your message reach many more readers and learn so much more than what happened to your son. Such an event cannot be taken lightly without proper training and most especially – hydration. Am glad to have the training and tools when I participated in the 2006 San Diego Rock & Roll Marathon. The organizers took care of the participants well all the way to the finish line.
Your son will be in my prayers and on my next marathon, I will dedicate the event in his memory. God Bless.
July 19th, 2010 at 12:01 am
I’ll put up a HYPOTHETICAL situation similar to what happened. A runner collapsed and was responded to by a fellow runner and a policeman, then transported to the hospital riding a taxi. But I’ll add these hypothetical details. Let’s say it is the runner’s fault why he collapsed, maybe he has a pre-existing condition or just plain dehydrated even with adequate water supply. Now I ask again, where was the ambulance? Where were the field marshals, the roving bicycles, the radio communicators, etc that they were boasting about? According to the father’s statement, “No Milo people knew of Remus case on that day until Roy, his brother, sent an email informing the organizer of the incident in the next morning.” Did the organizers really knew what happened on that day?
Having 27000++ runners is no excuse to the fact that no ambulance responded to the fallen runner. Shouldn’t we question why such thing happened? Could it imply that the medical crew isn’t adequate enough to cover the event? Do you honestly think 7 ambulances are enough for 27k people? That’s about 3800++ people for every ambulance. I honestly have no idea if that’s an acceptable ratio. But remember that this is a pre-reg event, which means that the organizers knew beforehand how many people are going to run.
July 19th, 2010 at 12:35 am
My deepest condolences, rest in peace brother. I was really saddened by this tragedy but it has been an eye opener for me to take care of myself more in every marathon I will join except MILO, because that would be my last run for them.
July 19th, 2010 at 10:20 am
To Alexis:
May i quote your comment: #153
“Alexis Says:
July 18th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
there are 27,000 runners that ran during the Milo Manila Leg we cannot expect that we can have medical assistance in a flash. I ran at the same 21km category. A bit lucky for Remus that he was still brought in hospital. There are runners who died instantly on races. What happened to Remus is God’s will, He has reason that we do not know, but we must accept. Precautions come first from ourselves, not from anybody. Stop blaming, if you really find that there is a culpable cause to Remus death file a complaint, seek justice formally and legally. Dont bring someone’s death into a circus of boohoos and blah blah. Make this be lesson to all us.”
Are you insane or drugged when you posted this comment? To whom are you addressing this, to the bloggers who are sympahatizing with Remus’ family or the latter? Do you even care that if Mr Rudy Fuentes reads this, he would be more heartbroken bec. you are criticizing and berating his actions in bringing the matter to this forum since the newspaper media refused to print a full story of this? And then make a very hypocritical statement of condolence at end of your comment? Whay don’t you read all the comments from the start so you would have a clear understanding of the events that followed. You don’t even have the slightest idea of what Mr Rudy Fuentes has been doing to seek justice for his son and you still got the nerve to make snide remarks like circus of boohoos and blah blahs, treating this sensitive issue like just some petty matter. And FYI it is pinoyfitness that helped Mr. Fuentes bring this matter to everyone’s attention.
You’re comments are very hurtful, insensitive & indifferent and has no place at this time that the Fuentes family is deeply bereaving. So please if you have nothing more comforting and sincere sympathetic words to extend and OUT OF RESPECT for their family may your comment #153 be last RUDE one that you make and i hope you would never be put under the same situation as Remus had.
July 19th, 2010 at 10:40 am
Milo Marathon’s respond is just a way to save their face.Of course, they will claim that they have everything prepared but the fact remained that there were many runners who also experienced those lack of preparations, too much chaos in every station, one runner described here that the station was too crowded,that also described what kind of planning they had.
They claimed that they heard somebody needed an ambulance, that they could not find Remus.Well, this just proved that they don’t have proper positioning of their paramedics and ambulances.They should position marshalls and ambulances where they could see any runner collapsed, not by hearsay, because they of all people should know that every precious seconds count if somebody collapsed and stopped breathing.
They say they have 500 marshalls? where were they, in the shade? weren’t they supposed to be by the side or at the back of the runners so that the instant somebody collapsed they could be beside the runner immediately to administer first aid with radio and everything while waiting for the ambulance? Are these marshalls trained to give first aid and cpr?They said if the policemen did not bring Remus to the hospital by taxi their ambulance could have save him bec. they are equipped, really? Do you really think these policemen who helped Remus would intervene your marshalls if they were there?if they even see these 500 marshall you were bragging? these policemen acted immediately because nobody helped Remus when he collapsed and they did not see any ambulance.
So please Milo Marathon organizers don’t make everyone looked like morons who would believe your lame excuses.The truth is, it is time you should all be replaced so that nobody will die anymore.You are a disgraced of your company and you made Milo Fun Run into a Milo Death Run.Of course it is easy to create a very perfect plan, in papers only and that’s all you have in paper only.
July 19th, 2010 at 11:13 am
To Alexis …#153…
The nerve of you to say that Remus was lucky…I hope you are as lucky as Remus too…that you die too…
FYI…the ambulance should be there in a flash.It just prove that you are one of those incompetent organizers who didn’t know that ambulances should be planned to be there in an instant as soon as any runner fall down.please think before you speak because you are showing your true character.
Yes, nobody can question God’s will but everyone, especially the family of Remus, can question somebody’s incompetence and negligence which causes somebody’s death.And once again, use your b r a i n…nobody is making a circus of Remus death here…this is the modern technology of expressing freedom of speech and the right to spread informations if somebody is clearly covering up the truth.How could you say making such blah blah…!are you paid by Milo? If the Iranian President cannot stop his countrymen from spreading the real situation of his country,your kind and Milo cannot too.
One more proved your character, if you are a real runner, you only think of finishing the shortest possible time.Of course, every trained runner knew the necessary precautions but when you are in the actual moment, you are already dependent on the organizers preparations.Do you really think a runner could run as fast as they can with bottled water on his body, isn’t that supposed to be the obligation of the organizers to see to it that all runners can have access of water at the right place and at the right time?This is the failure of the organizers and the nerve of you…
Again, fyi, the family of Remus did not make all the fuzz just to make a circus of his death but to make everybody aware, especially future runners,of what really happened during that 34th Milo Marathon so that they will not become the next victim and so that they will learn a lesson from his death…definitely not to make a circus of it.
So please Alexis…think before you speak…and do your research well..
July 19th, 2010 at 11:14 am
On comment #153 … Are you really sincere in sympathizing with the bereaved family of Remus? I found your comment so uncalled for. Have a heart. I hope you won’t find yourself in the same situation as Remus.
July 19th, 2010 at 11:21 am
To Alexis…#153,
Shame on you!!!
July 19th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
First and Foremost, May you rest in peace, Remus. God will always be with you and your family.
Secondly, Shame on you alexis. Please do some research before you talk. I would say your comments are ‘BASURA’.
And Lastly, I will encourage my friends NOT to participate anymore in any MILO marathon events. Very incompetent organizers indeed.
July 19th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
Unang una, wag nyo na patulan si Alexis. Character lang yan na ginawa ng MILO. Para mabaling yun galit nyo kay Alexis, hindi sa MILO. Good job Alexis! Effective ang ginagawa mo.
Pangalawa, siguro kung tatakbo tayo sa mga fun run na hindi runner(s) ang organizer, mag short distance lang tayo. Kasi sigurado, delikado ang buhay mo.
Pag runner ka kasi, alam mo ang dapat gawin. ano ayaw mo(nakikipagpatintero sa kotse). ano kelangan mo(tubig). naiisip mo yun. pag hindi runner, anong alam nya. basta kumita at madaming streamers at commercial, ayos na. pag namatay, me waiver naman. ikaw pa sisisihin, wala ka kasing practice. mga walang simpatya. walang puso.
Kung tatakbo ng 21K and up, siguraduhin runner ang nag organize. isa sa suggestion ko, runrio. sobrang maayos at walang problema. Sana lahat ng running events eh gayahin ang style ni coach rio.
Pangatlo, wala bang gagawin ang gobyerno. Takot ba kasi malaking pangalan ang MILO. kung ganun, etong nalang gawin nyo para maiwasan ito. gumawa ng committee, grupo, o kung anong departamento, bahala na kayo kung ano tatawag nyo, na taga pamahala ng mga running events. sila mag aaprove at magbabantay ng lahat ng running events. gawin nyong presidente/director si coach rio dun. siya na bahalang pumili ng tao nya. syempre dapat runners din para me simpatya sa runners. tingin ko di sya mahihirapan dito dahil karamihan ng kaibigan nya runners. sa pagka perfectionist ni sir rio, sigurado ako laking improvements nito.
Nakikiramay po ako sa pamilya Fuentes. Ipagdadasal ko po ang inyong anak.
Sana di na maulit ang ganitong trahedya.
July 19th, 2010 at 8:40 pm
condolence po….
yup, kulang nga ng water station nung 34th Milo marathon run last July 4.. 5K lang tinakbo ko that time pero nafeel ko talaga ung init & pagod which is di ko nafifeel from my previous run.. hay.. hope & pray sana sa next Marathon Run, wala ng mangyayari na gaya nito..
July 19th, 2010 at 11:00 pm
TO Dencio: #166
Dear Fellow, that Alexis person is real bec. i’ve been reading his comments on other running events and he can really be easily identified by the tone of his comments,self-righteous, arrogant toad. Like what julie said, alexis, think first before you express your mind. And another thing that really pissed me is your statement that “Remus was lucky to be brought to the hospital” what is so lucky about that you ill-mannered toad??? How can the Fuentes family be thankful for that when they eventually lost Remus. You make me sick!
July 20th, 2010 at 5:36 am
My condolences to Remus and his family…
July 20th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
condolence po sa Fuentes family. Let’s all pray for his soul and for the Fuentes family’s acceptance.
This topic should also be posted in facebook(if hindi pa), para mas mabilis kumalat ang balita and hopefully the media will be interested once the issue became famous to much greater viewer. I pray that the family will have there justice on this matter.
July 21st, 2010 at 12:28 pm
The government should step in and regulate events such as this because the public welfare is concerned. Because of the popularity of running, many businesses organize races for the sake of marketing their brand and for profits, some without concern for the safety of runners.
Before giving permits to such endurance races, there should be requirements that the organizers should satisfy regarding adequacy of medical assistance, hydration systems (both quantity and kind, i.e. not just water but also sports drinks), food, traffic control, security, insurance, etc.
I am a runner and a father of two children aged 8 and 6. Remus’ death hits close to home. I can only imagine the pain that his wife and children feel, as well as those of his parents and his friends. My sincere and heartfelt condolence to all of them. May Remus rest in peace.
I hope the lessons from his death are not lost and that he did not die in vain.
July 21st, 2010 at 6:56 pm
May i quote your comment: #153
“Alexis Says:
July 18th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
there are 27,000 runners that ran during the Milo Manila Leg we cannot expect that we can have medical assistance in a flash. I ran at the same 21km category. A bit lucky for Remus that he was still brought in hospital. There are runners who died instantly on races. What happened to Remus is God’s will, He has reason that we do not know, but we must accept. Precautions come first from ourselves, not from anybody. Stop blaming, if you really find that there is a culpable cause to Remus death file a complaint, seek justice formally and legally. Dont bring someone’s death into a circus of boohoos and blah blah. Make this be lesson to all us.”
Mr. Alexis, I HOPE YOU WOULD END UP WORST THAN MR. REMUS FUENTES’DEATH AND HOPING ALSO IT WOULD HAPPEN WHILE YOU ARE RUNNING UNDER MILO MARATHON!
July 21st, 2010 at 7:37 pm
I’m very saddened of what happened to Mr. Remus Fuentes and to all the runners out there who suffered the same fate or worse. My condolences to all the bereaved families, I Know no words can lessen the grief you experience right now. I was overwhelmed of the story and SHAME ON THE PHILIPPINE MEDIA (TAMAAN ANG GUILTY) FOR NOT PRINTING, AIRING, AND NOT GIVING MUCH ATTENTION TO THE FATALITIES OF THE 34TH MILO MARATHON.A BIG SPONSOR MAYBE???? Hmmmmmmmmmm…..JUSTICE FOR ALL THE VICTIMS OF INEPT IGNORANCE…I AM BOYCOTTING ALL MILO PRODUCTS FROM NOW ON…..AND HOPING OTHER SYMPATHIZERS WOULD DO SO ALSO. To those guilty ones…..I pray that your conscience will bother all of you, night and day AS LONG AS YOU LIVE!!!
I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE SYMPATHIZERS OF MR. REMUS FUENTES NOT TO RUN FOR FUTURE MILO MARATHONS ANYMORE!!!
July 21st, 2010 at 10:55 pm
Condolence to Remus’s family. People’s lives shouldn’t be put jeopardy just for a company and organizers to make money out of an event. I ran the 21k as well and it was really hot…
I confirm that the organizers had some flaws..
1) They started really late for a 21k. it said that 21k would start at 5am but we ended starting at around 5:50a. just imagine how it feels if we were out of the sun for 45 minutes? The fort runs like Century and mizuno start on the dot but i guess Milo had to do their marketing video’s before they could start..
2) Water stations were not fully equipped in the last 3k of the 21k run.. some had water but no more cups available. some didn’t have any water at all
4) there were no places to cool off.. not enough tents to get shade from nor water showers to shower on…
But to be fair I think it was one of the most organized runs that i’ve done so far
1) directions were good
2) water stations were in good distances from each other.
3) route was good.
At the end, we need to know what we are getting into. Any sport has it’s dangers… just prepare yourselves. Again, condolence to the family and i will do the Matabuncay triathlon this sunday in memory or Remus… Jerico
July 22nd, 2010 at 1:58 am
my condolences to the Fuentes family.
TO ALL ORGANIZERS: PLEASE PLEASE LEARN FROM THIS. ESPECIALLY NOW THAT ORGANIZERS ARE TARGETING YOUNGER KIDS. EVEN IF IT’S A 1K OR 3K RUN PLEASE BE READY, THAT WILL ALSO TEACH THE KIDS TO HYDRATE THEMSELVES. NEVER UNDER ESTIMATE, IT WILL BE ON YOUR CONSCIENCE SHOULD ANYTHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN AGAIN. ALSO PLEASE REMEMBER POWER DRINKS AND SUCH ARE NEVER ENOUGH, PEOPLE CAN GO WITHOUT THEM BUT NEVER WITHOUT WATER. ALWAYS FOCUS ON YOUR RUNNER’S SAFETY AND WELL BEING SINCE THESE ARE YOUR TARGET CONSUMERS. ISN’T WELLNESS & HEALTH THE GOAL FOR THESE MARATHONS?
July 22nd, 2010 at 2:41 pm
I’m so sad reading the story. I could not imagine the pain of the family now.
Yes, I believe that his death has reasons, maybe he is the key to save lives in the future.
Thank you for not keeping your silence about his death. It is indeed a good story for us sportslover to learn and be keen in asking questions regarding hydration points before joining any running/sports endeavor.
I hope the organizer will act on this tremendously.
With regards to the medical treatment, Im wondering why they had given doses of paracetamol when they knew that Remus was coming from a marathon. They should have suspected it as dehydration in the first place and not fever.
My deepest condolences to his family…
July 22nd, 2010 at 3:05 pm
I’m sad reading the story. I can’t imagine the pain of the family now.
Yes. I believe that his death has reasons. Surely he will be saving many lives in the future. I learn a lot from this story, all sportslover does. It is really good to be keen in everything by asking hydration points, availability of medical staff and marshalls before joining any extreme sports.
With regards to the medical attention, I was wondering why they gave Remus doses of paracetamol when they knew that he came from a marathon. They should have suspected it as extreme dehydration in the first place and not fever. I think this point too should be given attention..
My condolences to Remus family & relatives…
July 23rd, 2010 at 1:31 pm
@Alexis #153
Shame on you for not having a heart.
You are able to say that because you did not lose a son, you did not lose a father.
HAVE A GOOD LIFE AHEAD.
July 24th, 2010 at 12:07 am
Remus was my batchmate and classmate at LSM Batch 1990. Very cool, cheerful and good hearted person. Really saddened by his death but at the same time I know he’s in heaven. I pray for comfort for his family and friends. Pray for us too Remus !
July 24th, 2010 at 2:24 pm
Hello po,
Fyi lang po, tumakbo po ako sa new zealand ng 5k wala po ni isang water station. Tumakbo rin po ako sa Malaysia ng 10k isa lang po ang water station. Hindi po natin lubos batid ang tunay na nararamdaman ng bawat mananakbo at bawat mananakbo ay may kanya kanyang rason sa pagbakbo. Ito ay for fun or for health or merong goal time na minimithi etc. Sa edad kong 42 kung saan ako ay 2 taon ng tumakbo ako po ay conscious na mananakbo kaya nga po kahit wala akong running coach or running mate na mag aadvice sa akin ako ay nag babasa about proper runnning at pinakikiramdaman ang sinasabi ng aking katawan tuwing tumatakbo. Eto po nga po pala ang mga pro-active measures ko na nais kong i-share. (1) Tuwing ako’y sumasama sa mga patakbo ako po ay nagsusuot ng heart rate monitoring para po lagi kung batid ang kalagayan ng aking puso (presyong 3.5k pesos may mabibili na with watch at heart rate monitoring na) . (2) meron po akong dalang sariling tubig at ito po ay ginagamit ko lang kung wala ng available sa water station. (3) Bukod sa heart check ko, pinakikiramdaman ko rin ang kabuuan ng aking katawan at kung kinakailangan kong huminto at maglakad ito ay ginagawa ko (4) hindi po ako tumatakbo ng puyat higit sa lahat. (5) meron po akong health card sa company kaya minabuti ko ring mag pa stress test para lubos ang kaalam ko sa kundisyon ng aking puso (para po sa walang pang stress test mag pa kunsulta sa kahit saang doctor).
syanga pala ako ay tumatakbo for fun and for health lamang po.
July 25th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
I ran the 10K and so far it was good until I’ve reached the loop (where we used to turn to go back) and on the way back there was no more water or anything and I was under pressure to finished the race within the required time. It was my first time to ran 10K and hadn’t brought along my own water. They ran out of beverages long before the race was over. They should have been more prepared! I was near collapsing myself and after I’ve reached the finish line, welcomed the scanty Milo bev. they were handing out. I couldn’t retrieve my bags to get money because it was near riot in there. I don’t have a running buddy with me and I didn’t dare ask to borrow money from people I don’t know so I could drink some water! I was cursing myself as to why I brought a big bag and why I didn’t bring my own water.
July 25th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
That military cap he is wearing could have made the biggest difference. Why is he wearing that? It compounded the heat that lead to his stroke. It prevented the heat travelling up the head from being cooled down by the breeze created as he goes.
July 27th, 2010 at 6:51 pm
…….
July 29th, 2010 at 9:36 am
This is a very sad and tragic incident.. my condolences to Mr. Remus Fuentes’family.. I’ll send my prayers for his soul and may his loved ones find peace and justice..
July 29th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
i was deeply saddened. condelence to the bereaved family.heat stroke can be prevented if the victim drunks lot of water to replenish water/fluid lost from the body by sweating and this is the causal factor lack of preparedness to the organizer of the marathon that he was not given first aid promptly. secondly, the incompetence of the doctor with in fact vital signs were there ie, high body temperature, no sweating (hot & dry skin), chills, throbbing headache. the hospital management dont even had action to prevent occuring again with in fact there were already the same cases before and died.the marathon organizer and the hospital management are liable for their negligence.
August 9th, 2010 at 5:26 am
Last friday was the first month death anniversary of Remus Fuentes and I was extended the privilege by his family to attend a commemorative prayer at the seaside wall facing aristocrat where Remus collapsed. I was grateful to be part of a very private affair that it humbled me to know how low profile and kind was Mr Rudy Fuentes (the father of Remus)to approach us when I was a little giddy to introduce myself to the family members since I was a total stranger to them. I got to know Remus’ father only through blogs and email correspondences. Remus wife was very amiable and possesses an aura of courage that I seldom see from people who suffered an untimely loss of a loved one.
As the prayer went on I contemplated on the unfateful event and felt sadness again because Remus left a wife & two very young kids, which compelled me to wonder the wisdom behind sudden his demise. I can’t even get to talk about my experience anymore on my first 10k run without mentioning Remus death. I cannot rejoice on my own feat when someone else is drowning in sorrow. If somebody ask me why I am so affected when I am not even related by blood to Remus family; this is my answer; You put youself in the situation of those people he left behind, how would it affect you? That is why I am giving all the support I could extend to his family, in whatever way I could afford to give.
The Fuentes family cries for justice and I am earnestly praying to God to bestow and restore unto them what has been unduly taken from them. The journey to achieve this may take a while but like Mr. Rudy Fuentes said in one of his correspondences to me, I quote: “I know I do not have a chance to win against a big company but I have to do it.” . The Fuentes family are receiving support and help by sincere and good people and whatever wisdom is shielded behind all this will be unmasked in God’s time
August 25th, 2010 at 9:10 am
It is to my dismay that marathon at its peak wasted a very promising life. I am a marathon fun and I’m living with it as if we are one. However, I’m now starting to think and decipher whether it will be wise for me to push through with this new found love if it might cause my life. Correct me if I’m wrong, we all want to run farther than what we used to. We set a progressive goal and as much as we can achieve it within target date and speed. It gives us a different form of high after we succeeded from one goal to the other, and I am pretty sure same as late Remus’ goal. I hope that those who are “responsible” in a way or another will not just wash their hands just like what Pontius Pilate did. I hope that late Mr. Remus Fuentes and family will get what is due to them. Let the blind man see and let the able man see more.
August 26th, 2010 at 9:15 pm
Moral lesson is dont force your body if you body wants you to stop. I’ts not embarassing if you stop halfway or even less in this kind of event. Always bear in mind that you can work out butr not necessarily hurt or force your body while doing it. Please dont be angry. ‘just an opinion.
August 27th, 2010 at 1:49 am
make sense.. thanks.. di makitid utak ko.. : )