SCRANTON (WNEP) — A woman died after finishing the Scranton Half Marathon on Sunday.
According to the Lackawanna County coroner, the 36-year-old woman collapsed after she crossed the finish line. She was taken to Geisinger Community Medical Center where she died.
Officials with the Scranton Half Marathon confirm Lindsay Doherty, of Scranton is the runner who died.
More than 2,000 runners took part in Sunday’s 13.1 mile race. Only after crossing the finish line at Valor Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium did other runners realize that one of them had collapsed.
“It was very shocking for me to hear. It’s unfortunately something that does happen in any kind of exercise, but on such a great day it was unexpected,” said Maryann Sheerer of Avoca.
Runners from 26 states and even as far away as Ethiopia ran through the city of Scranton. Doherty was one of them, even reaching the finish line.
In a statement, race officials confirmed her death, saying:
“On behalf of the Scranton Half Marathon, our hearts go out to the Doherty family on the loss of Lindsay.”
Even after Doherty’s death, Maryann Sheerer plans to keep running, in memory of a fellow runner.
“Only because it is a risk like anything else. You don’t know what is going to happen.”
The cause of Doherty’s death is still under investigation.
