WVU Medicine Tent Helps Racers in Need of Care
Trending
WHEELING - Before the Ogden Newspapers Half Marathon Classic even began Saturday, nurse Dustin Coats already had his first customer of the day at the WVU Medicine tent.
A person had cut their finger and needed a bandage.
"I've done that before," Coats said of his own experience at road races.
Coats was volunteering his time to help racers in need during the course of the day. He noted racers sometimes suffer scrapes, cuts or bruises along the road course. Sometimes they end up twisting an ankle or falling and spraining their wrists trying to catch themselves.
"The physical therapy tent is where people can get treated for cramps, sprains or strains," he said.
Those who need even more care, such as IV fluids or X-rays, can be taken to the downtown care center or to WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital, he said.
Coats said most of the people running the races prepare for it physically and by staying hydrated, which typically equals fewer patients for the medical tent.
Coats said he does not usually run in the half-marathon road racing events, but he does enjoy the Tough As Nails Urban Challenge presented by The Health Plan. He plans on tackling it again this year.
"They keep adding on to it. It's a challenge," Coats said of why he likes the event. "It's not the same course every year."