Why Runners Should Learn CPR

Some runs are cloudier than others. Keep your head up, and you might just see the silver lining.

In light of the recent articles by the RW Sports Doc (How Healthy is Your Heart?) and Editor-in-Chief David Willey (Heart of the Matter) I felt compelled to share my recent experience and perspective as someone who recently provided CPR while on a run. My hope is that fellow runners and readers who have been in similar situations can identify with my experience, and that others can further understand the importance of CPR as a result.

“He looked purple,” one student says to another. Out of human curiosity, I interrupted, “Do we need to check it out?” All I received were blank stares of silent concern.

I jogged over to the man in question, only to spend the next several minutes performing CPR. Fast forward 15 minutes and my trembling hands course through my hair as the ambulance pulls away. The imagery and detail of what had just transpired will forever be with me. As vivid as some of those moments remain, what was taking place on the periphery was admittedly a blur. Were my students watching? How would this affect them?

About six months prior, in the dead of a Kansas winter, the idea to revive an already established but dormant jogging course at the college where we work was born out of coffee talk between a colleague and myself. Unknowingly, this creative spark set forth a chain of events that would place me on that “cloudy” run on April 23.

Thankfully, the college where I work offers CPR training, which I have participated in each time my certification needed to be renewed. Though it provides training that I found to be invaluable when called to put it into practice, it does not prepare one for the mental anguish that accompanies a situation like that.

I was still in shock as I drove home afterward. All the while, a million questions raced through my mind. Was he revived? Why was I there? Why did I not notice him myself the first time by? How many times have I been on a run without informing someone of my route? Do I always have identification on me?

Suddenly the story of Aron Rolston comes to mind, and his experience depicted in the movie 127 Hours.

When I found out several hours later that the man had passed away, my heart sank.

Did I do enough?

That night as I wrestled in bed and struggled to sleep, I turned to a book I had been reading titled The Guy at the Bar by Adam Griffin. Very poignant words spoke to me that particular night. “We are dealt cards we didn’t ask for. We are handed a situation we had no intention of being in. But guess what? We’re in it. This is the time that we deal with it, reflect on what we’re grateful for, and move forward.”

Why was I on that run, that particular day? Maybe it was a reminder of the temporary nature of life and the importance of an active and healthy lifestyle. Maybe it was a sign to live by example and pass that along to my students and my growing son. Maybe it was to help spread awareness of CPR and how it could potentially save someone’s life, as in the case of Jon Tota in David Willey’s “Heart of the Matter,” highlighted in the June issue of Runner's World.

After my experience—and reading of Jon’s—I decided to do some research. According to the American Heart Association, “less than eight percent of people who suffer cardiac arrest outside the hospital survive.” However, “effective bystander CPR provided immediately after sudden cardiac arrest can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival.”

I gather two things from these notes. First, how incredibly fortunate Jon is to have survived. Second, how incredibly impactful it can be to be equipped with something as basic as CPR knowledge.

Weeks later I still reflect on the incident daily. Running as a form of exercise has grown so popular, at least in part, because it can be done in isolation. Yet, many of us also choose to run because of the social aspect and the opportunity to connect with others. Either way, we often find ourselves on trails, routes, or at large events with fellow runners and outdoors enthusiasts.

Although we are runners, we are not invincible. Anything can happen at any given time. It is unfortunate the victim fell in the eight percent that day, but I can honestly say that I am grateful for the knowledge I had of CPR and the potential to increase his odds of survival by double or even triple.

Although I was left with a terrible feeling that day, I can imagine worse scenarios. What if I had not known CPR and been resigned to wait until an ambulance arrived. What if it had been me that had collapsed? Would anyone around me have known CPR? I know my family would have hoped so. I am sure yours would as well. Get certified in CPR and pay it forward. I hope you never find yourself using it—but if you do, you’ll be thankful.


Kyle lives in Princeton, Kansas, with his wife Amanda, son Deacon, and dog Drifter. He works as an academic advisor, co-instructs a jogging class, and enjoys running and writing.

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