Evading the fate of Pheidippides: acute coronary thrombosis in a young marathon runner with minimal atherosclerosis but sickle cell trait

After running across the plain of Marathon in 430 BC, Some myths suggest that Pheidippides delivered his message of victory to the Athenians and then died suddenly. It is known today that marathon running transiently increases the risk of sudden cardiac death (1). Although there are many mechanisms that could precipitate such a catastrophe; we present a case with intra-vascular evidence that occlusive coronary thrombosis can occur from only minimal atherosclerosis