Marathoner Bobby Doyle Dies of a Heart Attack
Posted December 14th, 2007 at 7:45 PM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Marathons
On the heels of launching a new road racing festival to be held next spring, the state of Rhode Island lost one of its best-ever marathon runners today, Bobby Doyle, who died of a heart attack, friends reported.
“This is heartbreaking,” wrote CVS Caremark Downtown 5-K race director, Charlie Breagy, in an e-mail message. “Terrible news for the Rhode Island running community.”
Doyle, a former All-American runner at Johnson & Wales University, was the winner of the first Ocean State Marathon in 1976, and went on to win the race six more times. He finished in the top-10 at the Boston Marathon three times, including a seventh place finish in 1979 in 2:14:04. Doyle also won the 1978 George Washington Birthday Marathon.
Ironically, next May’s new Cox Providence Rhode Races had been organized partially to benefit Doyle’s son Brendan, 26, a Rhode Island state trooper. The younger Doyle sustained a severe head injury when he was assaulted while off-duty by a motorist whom he had confronted for weaving dangerously in and out of traffic. The motorist punched him, causing him to fall backwards and strike his head. He was not expected to survive, according to a report in the Providence Journal. A former corrections officer has been charged with felony assault and reckless driving in the case.
In addition to his son, Bobby Doyle is survived by his wife, Lori. Other information surrounding his death is not yet available.
(c) 2007 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.
***Note: We encourage EVERYONE to see a doctor before altering their diet, taking a supplement and/or performing athletic, fitness or other strenuous physical activity. It is your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any information, instruction, opinion or advice contained in the content. Please also see our complete disclaimer.***
Tags: bobby doyle, marathon, marathoner
Like what you see? Subscribe to our feed!
The Final Sprint
Wow… I can’t believe he’s really gone. He was such a great coach, and a great person. He always thought about others, and not always himself. He was the distance coach at my school, Woonsocket High.
It’s going to be hard for the racing community of RI, but we just have to remember the good times, and just move on I guess.
R.I.P Bobby Doyle
December 14th, 2007 at 9:03 pm