A 35-year-old runner collapsed and died just moments after crossing the finish line of an 8k race.
Mattia Sella was seen leaning against a barrier, seemingly to catch his breath, shortly after 9pm on Wednesday (30 July).
Moments later, he fell unconscious.
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Witnesses thought he had fainted from exhaustion or suffered a drop in blood sugar.
But it quickly became clear that the situation was far more serious.
Mattia was found unresponsive and not breathing by on-site medics and volunteers who rushed to his aid.
They immediately began resuscitation attempts and were joined minutes later by paramedics from a nearby hospital.
Despite about 40 minutes of CPR, Mattia’s heart never restarted.
He is believed to have suffered a cardiac arrest.
The tragedy occurred during the 11th edition of the CorrinConca annual fun run in Thiene, in Italy’s Vicenza province.
It happened in front of numerous witnesses, including Mattia’s partner, who was left in shock.
His mother and brother arrived shortly after receiving the devastating news, as reported by Need To Know.
Mattia did not appear to have any known health issues.
Thiene mayor, Giampi Michelusi, said: “I remember him as a good lad, polite and kind. It’s truly a terrible tragedy.”
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