Dr. Emmett Hughes becomes part of the Medical Team at the New York City Marathon.

This past fall, Emmett Hughes, D.C., M.S., owner and clinical director of Huntington Health and Healing Center in Huntington village, volunteered as part of the largest medical team ever assembled for a single day event. As one of hundreds of medical volunteers, Dr. Hughes was part of the team of doctors and other medical volunteers that worked at the finish line.

The conditions of the race were almost perfect. While the day was cool, there was no rain and virtually no wind. For the runners, these are perfect conditions. For the medical staff, the cool weather started to get to most of them by the time the first runners crossed the finish line. Once they sprung into action, the cool temperatures didn’t effect most of the workers.

Most of the injuries suffered were minor, but there were many runners suffering from electrolyte imbalances and dehydration, both potentially serious conditions. There were plenty of runners that suffered minor injuries as well. Sprains and strains, low back and neck pain, exhaustion, disorientation and muscle cramping were some common complaints.

Once the elite runners crossed the finish line, the members of the medical team were constantly busy attending to the needs of the runners. The medical team worked well into the evening to near exhaustion. Many left well after 9 p.m. after arriving at 8 o’clock that morning. While the organization of the event was excellent, the huge numbers of people and injuries was at times overwhelming.

Volunteering at the New York City Marathon was both rewarding and very exciting. The atmosphere in the city that day was amazing. It felt as though the whole city came out to enjoy the spectacle that is the New York City Marathon. “It was a great experience being a small part of it”, said Dr. Hughes. He will definitely be volunteering again next year and for many years to come.