Philadelphia

Upper Darby High School Athletic Trainer Dies During Broad Street Run

Brian Smart worked with students from Upper Darby High School. His father said "the world certainly lost a good one" in a statement remembering his son

What to Know

  • An athletic trainer who worked with Upper Darby students died while running in Sunday's Broad Street Run.
  • Brian Smart, 25, suffered a heart attack during the race, Upper Darby School District administrators said. He later died.
  • Smart worked as a trainer with ATI, which has a location in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.

An athletic trainer who worked with Upper Darby high school students died after suffering a heart attack while competing in Sunday's annual Broad Street Run.

Brian Smart, 25, of Hatboro, Pennsylvania, made it through three-quarters of the 10 mile race course when the medical emergency happened, course records show.

In a post to Facebook, Upper Darby School District administrators confirmed Smart's death following the heart attack — sharing a photo of him and a statement from Smart's father.

"The world certainly lost a good one yesterday," Smart's father, who was not named, wrote in part. "It is obvious that Brian was beloved by the students that he worked with, and we've been receiving messages all morning about his passing."

Smart worked for physical therapy chain ATI since Sept. 2017, according to his LinkedIn profile. He previously trained students at The Shipley School, Drexel University, the University of Pennsylvania and Wissahickon and Collingswood high schools.

A request for comment from the Philadelphia medical examiner was not immediately returned.

The last death of a Broad Street Run competitor along the race course happened in 2007, according to race officials. Robert Masseroni, a 29-year-old Bucks County middle school teacher and martial artist, collapsed after crossing the finish line. An athlete, it was Masseroni's third time competiting in the race.

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