The Regions Hospital EMS event medicine team will serve as the official medical provider for the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon on Sunday with enhanced critical care capabilities available to support runners and spectators.

New this year, Regions EMS is partnering with Twin Cities In Motion and the University of Minnesota’s mobile extracorporeal membrane oxygenation team to bring ECMO-response capabilities to the marathon finish line. The collaboration adds another level of advanced medical support for rare, life-threatening emergencies during one of the Twin Cities’ largest sporting events. 

ECMO is an advanced treatment used for some critically ill patients when conventional treatments aren’t enough. The technology temporarily supports the functions of the heart and lungs, giving them time to recover. Regions has worked with the University of Minnesota on mobile ECMO since 2019 and has since expanded its own ECMO capabilities inside Regions Hospital.

“Events like the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon bring thousands of people together, and our job is to be prepared for everything from routine medical needs to the most serious emergencies,” said Aaron Burnett, MD, Regions EMS medical director. “By working with Twin Cities In Motion and the University of Minnesota, we’re bringing an extraordinary level of critical care capability closer to where it could be needed.”

Regions EMS event medicine provides onsite medical support at large-scale events, combining prehospital emergency medicine with Regions Hospital’s experience caring for patients with complex and critical needs.

“We’re incredibly proud to be among the very few races in the world to offer mobile ECMO emergency response capabilities, and uniquely proud to partner with the University of Minnesota, he global leader in mobile ECMO care,” David Supik, DO, Twin Cities Marathon co-medical director, said. “This partnership amplifies our unwavering commitment to runner safety and our ongoing effort to set the highest possible standard for medical care at our marathon.”

The Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon starts at 8 a.m. Sunday. The 26.2-mile race begins in downtown Minneapolis and finishes at the State Capitol grounds in St. Paul.