Woman who suffered heart attack near L.A. Marathon finish line dies at hospital

A woman who suffered a heart attack at the finish line of the Los Angeles Marathon has died at a hospital, race organizers confirmed Tuesday.

Trisha Paddock was a participant in the Charity Challenge Half Marathon, according to a statement by organizers.

“This is a devastating loss, and our deepest sympathies go out to her family and loved ones,” organizers said. “We would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to all the first responders, paramedics and medical personnel who were immediately on the scene.”

Organizers said they are in touch with the Paddock family and are offering support.

Paddock was raising funds for the Asian American Drug Abuse Program, according to the statement.

At 12:10 p.m. Sunday, firefighters “came in contact with a 44-year-old female race participant near the finish line suffering a medical complaint that escalated to a witnessed cardiac arrest,” according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

More than a dozen personnel, including LAFD’s Bicycle Medic Team, provided medical aid before Paddock was transported to a hospital, firefighters said.

Paddock’s age was listed as 46 in the marathon results while the Fire Department listed her age as 44. It was not clear which day she died.

A GoFundMe campaign was set up Sunday to help Paddock’s family with medical expenses. As of Tuesday night it had raised more than $42,000, surpassing its $40,000 goal.

Her death was the first related to the marathon since 2007, when a 50-year-old man participating in the L.A. Bike Tour held in conjunction with the marathon died after going into what appeared to be cardiac arrest, according to the Fire Department.

In 2006, two retired law enforcement officers died after collapsing on the marathon route. Raul Reyna, a 53-year-old retired Los Angeles Police Department detective, suffered a heart attack at mile 24 near Olympic Boulevard and Westmoreland Avenue, two miles short of the finish line. Retired Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy James Leone, 60, collapsed at mile 3, near Exposition Boulevard and Figueroa Street.

The only other known death during the marathon came in 1990, when a 59-year-old Altadena man under a doctor’s care for hypertension suffered a fatal heart attack while running in the fifth annual race. William McKinney suffered heart failure at the 21-mile mark near Crenshaw and Pico boulevards.

City News Service was used in compiling this report.