Goa Dental Surgeon dies of Heart Attack hours after completing 32 km Marathon

Panaji: In an unfortuante incident, a 39-year-old dental surgeon who was a fitness enthusiast and participated in a 20-mile (32-km) marathon in Goa died of a massive heart attack at home hours after completing the race on Sunday.  

The deceased has been identified as Dr Mithun Kudalkar from Vasco City in South Goa. He had taken part in the 20-mile category marathon held annually alongside the Zuari River in South Goa’s Chicalim village. Despite receiving timely CPR from his family who are all doctors, Dr Kudalkar did not survive. 

Dr Kudalkar was a fitness lover who routinely participated in marathons, cycling events and badminton tournaments and also won medals the past few years. His father claimed that he was extremely fit as he was an active person who did regular workouts. 

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It has come as a shocking incident for many that a person with a passion for fitness and health suddenly passed away. He was an inspiration for others on social media because he documented his achievements and daily health activities related to sports and marathons. 

The incident occurred when Dr Kudalkar felt unwell and was taken to a hospital, where doctors declared him fit after the marathon. However, after reaching his home, he continued to feel unwell and complained of discomfort in his shoulder and stomach. 

Later he vomited, collapsed and unfortunately passed away. His father Dr Dynaneshwar Kudalkar, who is a former chief medical officer of Mormugao Port Trust hospital, told PTI that he died of a massive heart attack on Sunday. 

Explaining his condition, his father said, "Mithun had left home that day at 3:30 am to take part in the race. He was a regular at marathons and had taken part in such competitions in several cities, including Mangaluru."

Speaking to the Indian Express, His father explained his condition, "I’m at a loss for words. He was extremely fit…his day started with some physical activity and training. In recent years, he took part in many running and cycling events and won medals."

“He said he was unwell and wanted to rest. Around 12.30 pm, he was lying in bed for an hour. He vomited, drank some water and then collapsed on the bed. We are all doctors in the family…so we tried giving him CPR, but he was not responding. We rushed him to a hospital in Chicalim, where he was declared brought dead. I think he suffered a massive heart attack, nothing else."

Mithun's friend Jitendra Dhyani, who was running the full marathon, said the former was looking fine while waiting at the finish line.

“We competed in different categories. I was in the full marathon [42.2 km]. During the race, we crossed each other twice and he was absolutely fine. He finished his race and when I reached the finish line, he was waiting there for me. I saw him take photographs of his wife and son, who had also participated in the 5-km category. Later, he complained of acidity and was assessed by the medical staff at the venue. But he was declared fit and he went home. We both recently competed in a marathon in Mangalore. This has come as a shock”, Dhyani told Indian Express. 

Meanwhile, Dr Sudhir Kumar a neurologist at Apollo Hospitals in Hyderabad expressed his heartfelt condolences to the DR Kudalkar's family, friends and acquaintances. 

In a post on 'X', he said "Dr Mithun was a fitness freak and routinely participated in marathons and cycling events. He regularly played sports (such as badminton & squash) and did workouts. His dedication to fitness inspired many. He completed his 1st ever 20 miler (32 km run) last month (Nov 10th) during Mangaluru marathon in 4 hours 23 minutes. His average HR during the run was 158 bpm. He considerably slowed down after 21 Km mark (pace of 9 to 11 min/Km). However, avg HR remained on the higher side (143-168 bpm)."

Recommending others with some tips before participating in marathons, Dr Kumar said, "Zone 2 running (running at average HR of 60 to 70% of maximum HR, where max HR is 220 minus age), is supposed to offer several health-related benefits. It helps improve aerobic fitness and reduces the risk of injuries. One should aim to run 75-80% of the weekly mileage in zone 2. This could mean running at slower pace. However, over time, one would be able to run at a faster pace, while still maintaining HR in zone 2."

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