What should have been a moment of triumph turned into an unimaginable tragedy for 36-year-old Kommineni Gopi, an IBM software engineer who collapsed and died shortly after completing a full marathon at Gachibowli Stadium on Sunday morning.
A resident of Alkapur Colony in Manikonda of Cyberabad, Gopi participated in the eighth edition of the Hyderabad Hi-Tech Full Marathon. He successfully completed the gruelling 42.2-km run and collected his finisher's medal. However, moments later, while walking towards the breakfast area, he suddenly collapsed.
The event organisers immediately rushed to his aid and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) before shifting him to a nearby private hospital. Despite the efforts, doctors declared him dead at around 8.45 am.
"Preliminary information suggests that he suffered a heart attack," Gachibowli police said, indicating cardiac arrest as the suspected cause of death. A post-mortem examination was initiated to establish the exact cause.
According to his family and friends, Gopi was not just a software professional but also a fitness enthusiast who took on the challenge of completing the full marathon. His achievement of covering 42.2 km makes the sudden collapse after collecting his medal particularly heartbreaking.
Gopi hailed from Ravinuthala village in the Khammam district of Telangana and had settled in Hyderabad with his family. He is survived by his wife and their three-year-old child.
His death has sent shockwaves through his family, colleagues and fellow running enthusiasts.
The tragedy has also raised questions about the importance of medical preparedness, emergency response and post-race monitoring at endurance sporting events.
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