Marathon runners need to face up to the risks posed by having an allergy, researchers have warned.
As many as a third of the runners in next month’s London Marathon may suffer allergic reactions after the event, according to a new study.
The Marathon takes place at the height of the British spring.
A study of some 160 of last year’s runners found that as many as 61 per cent reported eye and nose problems after the race.
Blood tests then showed that about a third of the runners were suffering from allergic reactions.
Researcher Dr Paula Robson-Ansley, of Northumbria University, UK, warned that runners could go on to develop asthma.
She found as many as 14 per cent of the runners were allergic to tree pollen – and the race took place when pollen rates were high in the British capital.
Some 29 per cent showed reactions to grass pollen, she said.
Dr Robson-Ansley said athletes should consider taking preventative medication.
She warned of further problems during the Olympics in London next summer – when grass pollen rates would be high.
Dr Robson-Ansley, a director of Sport Asthma, said: "These post-event sniffles might seem minor, but there are clear risks that people could go on to develop exercise-induced asthma and airway inflammation.
"Our survey also revealed that only eight per cent were taking anti-allergy medication so there is a clear gap between the number of people who could benefit from treatment and the number actually doing so."
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