Team-mates mystified by tragic death of 'very fit' marathon runner

Published on Tuesday 25 May 2010 21:51

FRIENDS of tragic Edinburgh Marathon runner Doug MacFarlane are still mystified at his death, it emerged yesterday.

The 52-year-old's team-mates in the relay race are said to be in the dark about his cause of death, which overshadowed the event on Sunday.

Mr MacFarlane was part of a team from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, in Leith, where he worked as venue manager.

More than 240 runners were treated by medics along the marathon route as temperatures soared to around 21C.

Mr MacFarlane, described as a "very fit man", was treated by medics at the scene but died shortly after arriving at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

Paul Miles, managing director of the whisky society, said: "We honestly don't understand exactly what happened to him. He was the first runner in the relay team and his teammates were waiting for him at the second stage marker.

"They were waiting for him there but he never turned up. One of the marshals came up to the team and said that Doug wouldn't be continuing the race, but that's all they knew at first."

Mr MacFarlane was among 17,000 competitors in the marathon and half-marathon. He had been running the first relay leg between Regent Road and Fisherrow Links, in Musselburgh.