Peter Curtin, marathon victim

The New York Times finally has an anti-marathon story. It profiles Peter Curtin, the 23-year-old who died running the Baltimore Marathon. Doctors were unable to determine the cause of his death. His body just died after running 25 miles. It turns out that Peter was a Princeton graduate and a graduate student at M.I.T. Unlike boxing deaths, which affects the lower classes, marathon deaths affect the SWPL class.

The article also mentions that there were “at least” six other marathon or half-marathon deaths this fall. Will anyone die tomorrow?

Comments

[ironrailsironweights.wordpress.com]

"Doctors were unable to determine the cause of his death."

It hasn't *yet* been determined. The medical examiner's office hopes to have some results in several weeks, so presumably a cause eventually will be found.

Curtin is not the typical marathon death case because he already had been an athlete (cross country and lacrosse) before taking up marathon running.

Peter

[Le Mur]

FWIW:
http://johnhawks.net/weblog/topics/energetics/endurance-running-parker-pope-2009.html

[rob]

Yes, marathon running is dangerous. Men do dangerous physical stuff to show that their tough. It impresses some chunk of both men and women. If marathons or kickboxing were as easy as typing, no one would be impressed.

Some people find they feel and function better with intense regular workouts. Since that varies between individuals, it likely varies between populations. Jews and Indians seem pretty low on the need exercise to feel okay spectrum. Maybe you just don't understand.

[ironrailsironweights.wordpress.com]

"Yes, marathon running is dangerous. Men do dangerous physical stuff to show that their tough. It impresses some chunk of both men and women. "

Of course many women run marathons too, so that can't be the sole explanation. My guess is that the primary reason why people run marathons is because they see it as a personal challenge to overcome. That's been the case with most of the runners I've known, all of whom have been fairly quiet and non-bragging about their activity.

--

"Jews and Indians seem pretty low on the need exercise to feel okay spectrum. "

IINM a fairly significant chunk of marathon runners are Jewish.

Peter

[capitalkid]

The NYTimes also has an article suggesting that the human body evolved in a way to support distance running.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/27/health/27well.html

Somehow, I get the arguments for and against marathons.

[Just Sayin']

Marathon running has no detrimental effect on the future of society. And the very few who die don't affect you. So why the drum beat of hostility? Is there something you need to tell us?

[Dov]

Funny how his friend plans to honor his memory - by running a marathon:

"Christopher, Curtin’s high school friend: Run a marathon. “It would be a good tribute to an awesome dude,” said Christopher, who plans to get a medical check-up before training."

[J]

At least two people died in the NYC marathon last year (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/04/sports/othersports/04marathon.html?_r=1), and at least one has died at every large marathon (10,000+ participants) I've been to. I'll bet there have been more than six marathon deaths in the US this fall.

That people die doing marathons is not a secret to those who participate.

"Curtin is not the typical marathon death case because he already had been an athlete "

I'm not sure that's the case - anecdotally, my observation has been that there's a pretty even split between experienced athletes in excellent shape and people who had no business attempting a 5K, much less a marathon.

[kurt9]

I thought Peter Curtin was the name of a serial killer.

[JohnM]

{it likely varies between populations}
Also varies with age. those younger feel more pressure to present themselves well to the opposite sex.

it's easier to underestimate the impact of sexual selection in others when it's not a relevent part of your life.

[sn]

A useful stat would be deaths in marathons vs. half marathons.. If the rates are similar, then its probably just a random thing (unknown factors that couldn't have been foreseen with present tech; if the risk in marathoning is noticeably higher.. people should take more precautions or go easier when they do it. this guy was planning a fast time 3:15. maybe such people should get extra screening

[tommy]

"A useful stat would be deaths in marathons vs. half marathons.. If the rates are similar, then its probably just a random thing (unknown factors that couldn't have been foreseen with present tech; if the risk in marathoning is noticeably higher.. people should take more precautions or go easier when they do it. this guy was planning a fast time 3:15. maybe such people should get extra screening"

You could throw ultramarathons in that analysis:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultramarathon

They even have an Antarctic Ice Marathon (including a 100 km ultramarathon event) so that SWPLs who want to claim the honor of having run all seven continents are given an opportunity to trample the last unspoiled wilderness:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_Ice_Marathon

I can't imagine medical help would be readily available in such an environment.

[tommy]

"IINM a fairly significant chunk of marathon runners are Jewish."

I recall reading a few years ago about the world's oldest speedwalking champion. He was a South African Jew by the name of Rabinowitz. He was over 100 years old. He could kick your ass when it came to walking really damn fast.

[sabril]

"Marathon running has no detrimental effect on the future of society."

True, but SWPL folly in general is arguably having a terrible effect on society and is, at the moment, a big threat to western civilization, perhaps the biggest threat.

[OneSTDV]

"True, but SWPL folly in general is arguably having a terrible effect on society and is, at the moment, a big threat to western civilization, perhaps the biggest threat."

I'm a little disappointed HS doesn't spend more time discussing modern liberalism's detriment to America and the West in general, e.g. the large scale effects of low-IQ/NAM immigration, MUslim immigration, PC rhetoric, demographic changes in regards to voting, etc.

[DaveinHackensack]

"Unlike boxing deaths, which affects the lower classes"

Boxers aren't all lower class. The Klitschko brothers both have Ph.Ds. The South African fellow that knocked out one Kitschko (Wladimir) and got knocked out by the other one (Vitaly) was also a golf pro.

"They even have an Antarctic Ice Marathon"

True. And one time when the weather was too rough for them to run on the continent, they actually ran the marathon on the ship. I wonder how many laps that was.

Running attracts a lot of folks who get into exercise as adults but have little athletic ability.

[Peter A]

Sabril, SWPLs are Western Civilization, like it or not. They are what makes the West distinctive. Without SWPLs the West would be no different from China or the Ottomans or any other static conservative traditional society. For better or worse SWPLs have driven most of the scientific and cultural innovation in the West for the last 300 years.

[HS: SWPLism is a recent phenomenon which didn't exist a few decades ago.]

[sabril]

"Sabril, SWPLs are Western Civilization, like it or not. They are what makes the West distinctive. Without SWPLs the West would be no different from China or the Ottomans or any other static conservative traditional society."

I disagree with you, but to make sure we are on the same page, can you tell me what exactly you mean by "SWPL"?

[OneSTDV]

"The Klitschko brothers both have Ph.Ds."

In some garbage like physical fitness.

Boxing, especially the lower weight classes, has become dominated by lower class Hispanics looking for a way out of poverty.

[ironrailsironweights.wordpress.com]

[The Klitschko brothers both have Ph.Ds.]

"In some garbage like physical fitness."

Sports science, to be specific. From what I gather, the field involves quite a bit of, well, science. It's probably nowhere near as easy as you might think.

Even regular phys ed as taught in American universities has gotten more scientific and a lot more difficult. A generation ago it was customary for college football and basketball players to major in phys ed. Today that's less common because the subject's too hard, instead they major in things like communications.

--

"Boxing, especially the lower weight classes, has become dominated by lower class Hispanics looking for a way out of poverty."

Hispanics (and to some extent Asians) indeed do dominate the lower weight classes, mainly because they're more likely to be small enough to meet the weight limits. Not many blacks or whites can do so.

Peter

[DaveinHackensack]

"In some garbage like physical fitness."

What's your Ph.D. in, OneSTDV? And how many languages do you speak? The Klitschko's speak at least four (Russian, Ukrainian, German and English). And while you're at it, here's a bonus question for you: why does HBD attract such bitter folks who feel compelled to piss on the accomplishments and abilities of others?

[OneSTDV]

OK fine guys. I got that information from a Ukrainian who told me that the brothers had basically been given the PhD's in crappy subjects because they're gods in their native country.

And your generalization is off the mark.

And speaking foreign languages is highly overrated. SWPLism if you ask me. An entire world of English speaking people would do much to assuage tension and develop commonality.

[Peter A]

Sabril,

I'm defining SWPL the same way HS does. People who like to run marathons - i.e. any white person, not from the South, with an MBA, JD, MA or PhD working in a profession, the military, or the arts.

[HS: SWPLs don't work in the military. The don't have to have a graduate degree.]

[Dr. Suez]

"And while you're at it, here's a bonus question for you: why does HBD attract such bitter folks who feel compelled to piss on the accomplishments and abilities of others?"

It is usually the W.N. HBD types that are really bitter. White racialists are often bitter because of some shortcoming in their personal lives, so they feel better by identifying with the entire white race, instead of their own personal accomplishments and abilities. Most successful whites do not see themselves as being in competition with other races, because they are successful on their own. It naturally feels better to be able to take pride in your own accomplishments than to take pride in your entire ethnic group's accomplishments.

When unsuccessful WN HBDers see success, they are reminded of their own shortcomings and feel the need to "neg" the successful "alphas". Upper class successful whites all blend together to become SWPL's. Athletes are all primitive morons. Kind family men are "betas". High IQ Asians and Jews are math dorks and international subverters or the West, respectively. So on and so forth.

[Hipple Swipple]

"An entire world of English speaking people would do much to assuage tension and develop commonality."

Developing commonality for a world of peace and love is actually quite the SWPL concept. You should join the movement, fellow sun-child. Let us journey into the heart of darkness together and teach English to all the natives. Then we can all join together in harmony and praise Obama on High.

[J]

"I'm defining SWPL the same way HS does. People who like to run marathons - i.e. any white person, not from the South, with an MBA, JD, MA or PhD working in a profession, the military, or the arts"

Huh? There are plenty of SWPLs in/from the south, even by your definition (excepting that provision). Also, HS, your statement is true on paper, but when I left the service, a graduate degree was a de facto requirement for field grade promotion.

I'd define SWPLs as white, urban, middle to upper middle class, working a job for which a college degree is a requirement, holding (always) liberal social views and (usually, but not always)left leaning economic views.

[ironrailsironweights.wordpress.com]

It appears that there were no dirt naps as a result of yesterday's New York Marathon. One runner collapsed with heart trouble but some firefighters revived him and he's now recovering.

Peter

[Peter A]

But if you define SWPL as "holding (always) liberal social views" then the Marathon/SWPL connection makes no sense. Plenty of upper class Republicans run marathons, especially in the Northeast.

[Melykin]

J wrote:
"I'd define SWPLs as white, urban, middle to upper middle class, working a job for which a college degree is a requirement, holding (always) liberal social views and (usually, but not always)left leaning economic views. "
---------------------------

Then I suppose I'm a SWPL. I don't know why I hang around HBD blogs. It is sort of a guilty pleasure. I would never speak of HBD to anyone in the face-to-face world. It is not considered respectable in my circles.

But HBD is surely true. It is a delicate situation.

[J]

"Plenty of upper class Republicans run marathons"

Your comment makes no sense. Plenty of upper class Republicans (if not the overwhelming majority) have liberal social views, i.e., not opposed to legal abortion or various gay rights agenda items. The difference between these people and the left, at least in terms of social views, is that they consider economic issues far more important. A Republican with liberal social views will vote for a fundamentalist anti-abortion candidate who wants to appoint constructionist judges and reduce taxes over a socialist who agrees with them about gay marriage.

[sabril]

"I'm defining SWPL the same way HS does. People who like to run marathons - i.e. any white person, not from the South, with an MBA, JD, MA or PhD working in a profession, the military, or the arts. "

I think that's a pretty unusual definition of SWPL and I don't think it's the same as HS's. Anyway, I agree that by your definition, Western Culture has always had SWPLs in the sense that there have always been educated white people who aren't from the South.

Anyway, when I was talking about SWPL folly, I was referring to a much more specific subculture. The kind of folks who (tend to) take pride in despising the United States. The kind of folks who complain endlessly about US treatment of prisoners while turning a blind eye to the activities of places like Iran.

The kind of people who went to anti-Apartheid demonstrations in the 80s but who couldn't care less about the suffering of whites (and blacks) in places like Zimbabwe.

The kind of people who would sacrafice half the nation's income to save the habitat of the polar bear while at the same time cheering for the disappearance of the white race.

These sorts of attitudes have probably been around for a long time. Heck, even Jesus glorified poor people and prostitutes.

Are these attitudes a distinctive feature of western culture? Possibly, but there are many other distinctive features of western culture. For example: democracy; rule of law; inventiveness. I think we could do perfectly fine without SWPLs.

[Dave R]

I question the word "victim." Nobody held a gun to Curtin's head and made him run.

I look at marathon deaths as Darwin awards for non-drunk non-rednecks. It's just voluntary natural selection for SWPLs. There's no victimization involved except it hits too close to home for our host. "Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open sewer and die." Some of us are laughing.

[Turambar]

"At least two people died in the NYC marathon last year (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/04/sports/othersports/04marathon.html?_r=1), and at least one has died at every large marathon (10,000+ participants) I've been to. I'll bet there have been more than six marathon deaths in the US this fall."

TPP and the NYT are lying to themselves with the .8:100000 figure they keep quoting about the rate of death in marathons.

There is no way it could be 1:120000 and this many people are dying. Three in one race! The Probability is astronomical against using their stated odds.