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2019 Fox Cities Marathon: Preparing for the Big Event

Fox Cities Marathon Medical Director Dr. Mark Westfall competing in the Wisconsin Ironman event.

As someone whose day is impossible to plan for, Dr. Mark Westfall knows the importance of being prepared.

So it is for an emergency room physician.

“You’re never quite sure what situations you’ll be presented while on duty in the ER,” said Westfall, “so readiness is a priority for our ER team.”

That mindset of readiness also serves Westfall well in one of his other roles: Medical Director of the Community First Fox Cities Marathon Presented by Miron Construction (FCM). Westfall leads the team that oversees the medical needs for the nearly 7,000 participants in this year’s festival of races on September 20-22.

For many years prior to assuming the role of Medical Director, Westfall helped to coordinate the event’s on-course ambulance services, the first responders who need to be prepared for any 911 call or life-threatening emergency during the event weekend.

Getting ready to provide medical attention at multiple races – culminating in a Sunday marathon and half marathon that collectively boasts more that 5,000 athletes – well, that calls for a certain amount of forethought.

“I am extremely fortunate to work with the professionals who comprise the Fox Cities Marathon medical team,” said Westfall. “Collectively, we have experienced just about every event-related emergency imaginable, so we have a solid foundation for event safety.”

What about the emergencies they haven’t experienced?

“We do our best to prepare for those as well,” said Westfall.

All of the emergency medical service personnel and medical staff are what Westfall refers to as “local talent,” the physicians, nurses, therapists and other medical professionals that are called upon every day when community members have health care needs. The medical professionals staffing the first aid stations, bike teams, pre-stationed and roving ambulances, and the finish line medical pavilion have extensive experience in recognizing and treating conditions that can affect participants on race day.

“We are very fortunate to have volunteers from across all aspects of healthcare within the Fox Cities,” said Westfall.

Looking at the uniqueness of illnesses related to distance events such as marathons and Ironman challenges, Westfall and his team incorporate best practices established by the International Institute for Race Medicine, with the goal of improving the experience of every athlete.

Westfall has also visited Boston, Chicago, Walt Disney World and race sites around the country to observe onsite medical teams in action.

“Our goal is to provide the same type of care at FCM that one would get in Boston or New York,” said Westfall. “By connecting and sharing information with medical coordinators, both nationally and internationally, we can share ideas and innovations that make our races here as safe as they can be.”

One strategy to quickly respond to medical emergencies is through the use of the RunnersHealth Medical QR Code®, technology created to provide immediate access to vital health information of athletes experiencing acute illness or injury.

This year, every participant wearing a pre-printed race bib will have a unique Medical QR Code® with their name, address, phone number, and emergency contact immediately available to credentialed emergency personnel through a secure and proprietary app, in less than 30 seconds. More extensive information, such as multiple emergency contacts, medications, allergies, and medical conditions, will also be accessible if provided.

Westfall also brings a runner’s mentality to his role as Medical Director. He is an avid distance runner and has competed in numerous marathons, half marathons, and triathlons.

As someone with a passion for distance events, Westfall embraces the challenges presented when preparing for a race, whether as participant or medical director. One challenge presented to the medical team is a given: there will be an injury or an illness.

Westfall said he cannot remember being at a single event that did not have one or the other, or both.

“Through my work in an ER/Trauma Center, I see people every day with illnesses and injuries that run the gamut,” said Westfall.  “They do, however, share one common characteristic: all these ER visits were unplanned.”

Westfall notes that meticulous preparation is a given in any emergency and standard operating procedure for a medical team providing care at a distance event as well. It’s also a message he thinks participants can never hear enough.

“As every runner knows,” said Westfall, “careful and thorough preparation can pay extraordinary dividends on race day.”