Calculating the Cost of Heat Stroke in the Boston Marathon VS that of a Sedentary Lifestyle

So I was browsing the Runner's World website and clicked on this article:  http://rwdaily.runnersworld.com/2012/04/is-it-wrong-that-i-laughed-at-this.html

The article was referring to a few comments made about this article:
http://www.boston.com/sports/marathon/articles/2012/04/17/boston_marathon_runners_suffer_heat_related_ailments_in_record_breaking_temperatures/

The comments were as follows:


There are other comments on the article and other comments on the blog, so I commend those to your attention.  A number of people on either are asking about the cost of having a heart attack or being obese, or being sedentary.  I am not a confrontational guy, and I am no fan of name calling.  In fact, I find it a little juvenile, but it did get me thinking.  So I did a little research on the costs of running the Boston Marathon and getting treated for a heat stroke versus not running the Boston Marathon and living a sedentary lifestyle.

Before I write this, though, I must say that no, you don't have to run the Boston Marathon to be healthy and active, I have never run the BM, but I have run marathons... so think about this as more of a cost of running or even exercising, in any weather, even heat, versus living a sedentary lifestyle and being treated for illnesses related to that... which would you rather pay for?

Training, Running and Running to Qualify for the Boston Marathon ~$1,000 (or more)
Boston Marathon Entry Fee $300
Staying at a Hotel for the Race $200
Treating Heat Stroke ~$8,000
Other Costs Associated with Visiting Boston ~$300
TOTAL COST = ~$9,800 (let's say $10,000)
Realizing your Boston Marathon dream ... ~$10,000 IF you have a heat stroke (everything has a price tag- it's not priceless)

Treating a Heart Attack = $50,000 +
With this number, I need to note that running does not in any way take away the possibility of having a heart attack, but it does significantly reduce the risk.

The Cost of a sedentary lifestyle = Please read... http://huffinesinstitute.org/Portals/37/Chenoweth_JPAH_3_06.pdf
The conclusion of the study is "The cost of physical inactivity and excess weight
among American adults is significant. More research on best-of-class interventions
to curtail the high prevalence of these risk factors is needed."  In other words, it's hard to put a price tag on it because of the many, many diseases associated with this type of lifestyle, including Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, heart disease, high blood pressure, hypertension, stress on joints and bones, many different types of cancer, etc.

To be clear, the economy of the greater Boston area greatly benefits from the Boston Marathon, and the emergency rooms and hospitals may get bogged down for a while but they ultimately expect and are able to handle the influx.  Overall, however, we must realize that all that extra money in Boston translates into an increased tax revenue which only helps the hospitals with funding later.

Yes, I agree that runners need to be prepared and well trained for a hot marathon, but stuff happens in marathons that you can't predict or be prepared for.  Believe me, if you're running Boston, you are well conditioned.  Anyone who runs the Boston Marathon had to qualify, that's a goal I have not come close to yet, and I'm pretty healthy.

We just need to remember to listen to our bodies, slow down and drink lots of water, sports drink and take nutrition in the heat.  We marathon runners may be tough, but we're not invincible, and this just another illustration of that.

While the cost of a sedentary lifestyle is greater that the risk of treating a heat stroke, I would rather risk the cost of heat stroke to realize my dream rather than sit around and fuss about others doing so.  So, yes, we are a crazy bunch who will run in anything, but there's a real purpose and drive that gets us out there on hot days.

It is that goal driven stubbornness of runners that keep us out there on roads while dodging cars and trucks who seem to aim for us, rabid dogs who want to snack on us, stupid comments from bystanders, and curses from some other people.  We're willing to take risks to achieve our goals, and I think that's a pretty good trait to have.

My only wish is that others can find the drive that makes us run, to take calculated risks to achieve measurable goals, follow the example of this year's Boston Marathon field- that nothing will stand in the way of your attempting to accomplish your goals.  The worst that can happen is you fail... then you learn from your mistakes, and try again.