This summer the sky over my city is as often lit up by lightning as it is by the rays of the sun. The flash storms roll in without warning, lightning literally coming out of the blue (check out some cool photos of a recent storm). I’ve been caught a few times out on a run in the middle of a thunderstorm. My instinct is set a 5K PB getting myself away from bolts that can melt my shoes. I’m not an alarmist, but should I be running scared?
The odds of being struck by lightning in Canada are low, with about 10 deaths and 90-160 injuries per year. The toll is highest in southern Ontario and among outdoor enthusiasts. That last part warrants some precautionary measures on my end. Still, it is rare for a runner to be struck and killed by lightning. Although it does happen. Just last week a man was beach jogging in Southern Shores, NC when he was hit and killed by lightning. Perhaps not surprisingly, most running victims seemed to be on a beach when they met their electrifying maker. I’m an urban runner, but my routes occasionally take me to risky areas like open hill tops and waterfront paths.
The 30/30 rule helps you assess the danger level: Count the time between the thunder and lightning (1 sec = 300 metres, 30 sec = 10K danger zone) and if the bang-flash timing is less than 30 seconds wait until 30 minutes after the last flash and bang before resuming your run. If you find yourself out in threatening weather the universal advice is to “find safe shelter” (meaning a substantial, enclosed building). If that’s not an option you want to avoid being near the tallest object around (so stay away from isolated trees and other tall objects), you don’t want to be the tallest object around (so avoid open fields, beaches, and high ground/hills), you don’t want to be near anything that conducts an electrical charge (so stay away from metal objects like poles, fences, gates) and you need to get away from water. If the weather is really active packs of runners should spread out 3-4 metres. No outdoor place is 100% safe, but you can easily minimize your risk.
In 2007 the New England Journal of Medicine published the surprising case of a 37 year old jogger struck by a lightning sideflash (when the lightning jumps from another object, in this case a tree, to the person) while he was out for a run. The most remarkable part of the story concerns his iPod. Humans aren’t terribly conductive and lightning will usually “flashover” the surface of the body; however, sweat and metallic objects in contact with the skin can disrupt the flow.
An iPod isn’t a lightning rod (it won’t attract lightning), but wearing one can make a bad situation worse. If you are already unlucky enough to get hit, the iPod adds insult to injury when the wires interrupt skin resistance to the electrical current. During a flashover the iPod, against sweaty skin, draws in the current and, in the jogger’s case, directed the current right through his head. The jogger had burns along his chest, neck, and ears following the path of the headphone wire. His eardrums were ruptured, the tiny bones in his ear that conduct sound were dislocated, and he has severe conductive hearing loss. His jaw broke, possibly due to electrically generated muscle contractions. He survived, but his outcome would have been brighter if he hung up his headphones.
Lessons Learned: In addition to the helpful advice about seeking shelter or minimizing risk if shelter is not available, the teched-out runner is reminded to remove all conductive materials from their body. Music players/headphones and cellphones are known hazards. I haven’t yet heard of any Garmin related lightning injuries. Yet. Miles (my Garmin) tends to lose consciousness in rainy weather, so he already stays at home during storms.
Title Reference: Live – Lightning Crashes. From the album Throwing Copper. 1995.
