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Young runner dies at race
By Keith Cerniglia
John Bruner, a former Dalton High School cross country standout and The Daily Citizen's Co-Male Runner of the Year in 2005, collapsed Saturday morning at the Missionary Ridge Road Race in Chattanooga and later passed away at Erlanger Medical Center.
Bruner was 19.
He was given assistance at the entrance of Bragg Reservation by three medical professionals around 8:45 a.m., not one hour after the scheduled start of the 4.7-mile race. Emergency personnel used a defibrillator to restore a heartbeat before Bruner expired.
“We had a volunteer nurse from American Red Cross and two doctors there,” said race director Dan Bailey. “I don't know if they were spectators or if they were (participants) — they didn't have race numbers on.”
Bailey said he was at the finish line, where he traditionally shakes the hands of the runners as they finish. He added that he began to spot activity “a couple hundred yards away” where Bruner was being attended to.
“I saw people running and someone yelling, and I went down there,” Bailey said.
All but three runners had crossed the finish line by the time Bruner was taken to Erlanger in an ambulance, Bailey said.
All postrace festivities were immediately canceled and an assistant pastor was asked to deliver a prayer. It was not known at that time that Bruner had died.
“We didn't know what happened,” Bailey said. “But we knew it was not good, so I shut (the race) down around 9:30 or somewhere in that range.”
Bruner signed a letter of intent to run at Georgia College and State University last May and was set to begin his sophomore year at the school in Milledgeville. The runner, an honors student at Dalton, had expressed plans to study physical therapy.
“I've been at the family's house,” said Scott Thompson, who coached Bruner on the track team at Dalton for four years. “He wasn't feeling good, lost consciousness and never regained it. He was running (in Dalton) almost every day.”
It is not known whether the cause of death was heat-related. Temperatures were in the mid-90s Saturday for the 34th edition of the race, which raised money for the American Red Cross.
“I would say this kind of weather is what it usually is for the race,” Bailey said. “We traditionally run it the first weekend in August. One reason it's only 4.7 miles is because of the heat. If it were a longer race, we would have it sooner.”
Dalton athletic director Ronnie McClurg said he was talking to Bruner last week after he saw him jogging around the track at the high school. Bruner told The Daily Citizen last year that he logged between 700-800 miles each summer in preparation for the cross country season.
“I am very saddened that something like this would happen to such a fine young man — to anybody,” McClurg said. “He left his mark at Dalton High School and our community as a great person, a great student and an outstanding track athlete. It broke my heart to hear about it.”
Bruner was a four-year runner at Dalton. His senior year was spotlighted by a number of achievements. He placed fifth at the Region 7-4A cross country meet, posting the best time of his career (17:07) and helped the Catamounts win the boys' region track championship in the spring.
He called his signing day at Georgia College and State University “a dream come true.”
“He was just an outstanding kid,” said GCSU cross country coach Joe Samprone. “Good student, good runner, good person. There was nothing but positives to say about John.”
It marks the second time this summer that a current or former Dalton High athlete has died in his teens. Varsity football player Andre Johnson was shot to death on Morris Street on May 28.
“We've had enough of our tragic moments,” McClurg said. “I don't ever want to see another summer like this.”
Bruner is survived by his father Greg, a director of operations at Shaw Industries; his mother, Margie; his sister, Megan, a senior at the University of Georgia; and his younger brother Andrew.
The family has long been dedicated to the sport of running. Greg Bruner competed in Saturday's race and had finished the course when he found out that his son collapsed.
“They are a great family,” McClurg said. “They all love running. My prayers and thoughts are with them through this very tough time.”
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