"An
celebrated ocotogenarian runner who loved the sport so much that she proclaimed “I want to die running” suffered a deadly injury when she stumbled during Sunday’s New York City Marathon."
Joy Johnson, 86, of San Jose, Calif., died Monday from complications of blunt trauma to her head and blood-thinning drug therapy for a heart ailment, according to the Medical Examiner’s Office.
Johnson’s death was ruled an accident, spokeswoman Grace Brugess said.
“She said: If I can die running I’ll die happy.”
“When evaluated by our medical team she was strongly advised to allow our Emergency Medical Services team to take her to the hospital for further evaluation, but Joy declined,” said Chris Weiller of NYRR.
A devout Lutheran who ran every day but Sunday so she could attend church, Johnson sang hymns to herself and “thought happy thoughts” to pass the time while running, Anderson said,
Daughter Diana Boydston, 54, said of her mom: “She was always a happy runner — and besides her faith and family, this was something she loved the most.”
NY Post Natasha Velez and Bruce Golding
