What medical cover do I need for a 10km Running Event?
If you are running a running event and aren’t sure what medical cover you need, then you are in luck. In the UK, a best practice guide has been written and published by Run Britain and UK Athletics. The guide sets out what is required depending on the number of participants and the distance being run.
UK Athletics is responsible for management and administration of the licencing process for athletics events within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland delegated to their respective national association (Athletics Northern Ireland, England Athletics, Scottish Athletics & Welsh Athletics)
In 2007 Runbritain (formerly the UKA Road Running Management Group) was established by UK Athletics to provide strategic leadership for road running in the United Kingdom RunBritain has been tasked to set standards of delivery for road running (how the sport is organised), to facilitate sharing of best practice, assisting race organisers to make the administration of road races easier, ensuring quality control & helping to improve the overall standard and safety of road races in the UK.
The Home Office ‘Good Practice Guide to Sporting Events on the Public Highway’ 2006, the current statutory guidance for road races in the UK, presumes that advice on medical services for participants will be provided by the governing body for each respective sport.
The guidance on medical services for road races has been created by a team from the runbritain Medical Advisory Group, drawing from current best practices. It serves as a practical resource for road race organisers, medical providers, and area license officers, offering insights on determining specific first aid and medical requirements tailored to each event. The document includes fundamental advice for race organisers and management insights to first-aid medical providers. Importantly, this guidance aims to alleviate the responsibility and liability placed on race organisers and their medical partners by providing a clear framework for deciding the suitable medical resources for their respective events. It serves as a comprehensive tool for enhancing safety measures and ensuring compliance with best practices in organising road races.
While numerous races have been conducted over the years without significant incidents, it's crucial to recognise that past performance does not guarantee future outcomes. Participants engaging in endurance events expose themselves to heightened stress, substantially increasing their inherent risk of harm, albeit partially mitigated by long-term health benefits.
The primary concern at road races following potential road traffic collisions is the risk of fatality due to exercise-associated collapse leading to cardiac arrest. On average, there are approximately 3-4 such fatalities each year at UKA-licensed races in the UK. Despite the relatively low incident rate in comparison to the total number of UKA road races (around 8,500 annually) and participants (approximately 1.5 million annually), these occurrences persist. Notably, races over longer distances exceeding 5km exhibit a higher incidence of such events.
There is undeniable evidence that swift access to first aid and medical resources plays a pivotal role in saving lives during public sporting events. The effectiveness of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), defibrillation (using automated external defibrillators - AEDs), and the presence of qualified first aid providers has been unequivocally established. The rate of successful resuscitation for cardiac arrest, achieved through appropriate medical intervention at road races, surpasses the resuscitation rate provided by the general ambulance service.
Race organisers are legally obligated to uphold a clear duty of care by ensuring the provision of suitable first aid and medical facilities for participants, volunteers, and staff. This obligation extends to addressing foreseeable additional medical risks that may reasonably be anticipated during event participation. Furthermore, this duty of care encompasses spectators present on private or public land exclusively controlled by the event organiser.
The guide highlights that a CQC-registered company should provide all first aid resources. The guide has a handy table which shows what resources should be provided as a minimum at road running events. It covers ambulances, first aiders and ALS providers such as Paramedics.
You can find the whole guide here