Schriner keeps eye on runners


Dr. Jon Schriner, who was the race’s medical director for many years, is one of the few who has volunteered in the first 30 Crim races.

He's done many things but is most noted for his role as medical director, which took a lot of coordination and help.

For instance, in 2001 the medical tent averaged 240 visitors on race day. Most suffer from dehydration, but people with blisters, bee stings and cuts from falling on the course also show up.

He often was seen in the medical tent, asking people how they felt as he is in The Flint Journal photo at right.

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In 2002, Schriner of Flint wanted to verify some advice scientifically.

The accepted advice: when engaging in strenuous activity, drink plenty of water.

In 2002, runners in the Crim 10-mile road race Saturday could participate in a study co-authored by Schriner and long-time Crim runner Dr. Laura Ankrum on the causes of weight loss during a long race.

"The initial hypothesis of this is that someone exerting in the heat and humidity loses a significant amount of fluid and, therefore, there is a need for replacement of that fluid in order to maintain body function," Schriner said.

About 1,000 of the 6,189 finishers in the 2001's Crim took part in the study.

In 2002, runners participated by weighing themselves on scales near the Riverfront Character Inn before the race and on another set of scales past the medical tent after the race.

Runners were given a piece of paper on which they recorded their weight before and after the race and how much water they drank during the event.

"There's a debate that's been circling around in sports medicine the last year or two," said Ankrum, who helped conduct the study as part of a residency requirement at Genesys Health Park. "Is it salt loss that causes problems for people or is it fluid loss? Dr. Schriner's theory is that it's water people are losing."

Schriner 's initial findings: "A lot of problems occurred in the faster runners. This correlates with some people's findings that the harder you exert, the more you lose."

The average weight loss for Crim runners in the 2001 race was three pounds.

Then there were the extremes. A runner who started out at 174 pounds and ran seven-minute miles lost 10 pounds along the way. And one woman, a slower runner, actually gained a pound.

One surprise to some is that traditionally the short-course runners are more problematic than the 10-milers, Schriner said.

More defibrillators are located at emergency stations located along the three-mile and five-mile courses. Athletes in these races are more likely first-time racers who sometimes lack training, the doctor said.