The Matthew Good Foundation was formed following the passing of Matthew Good in June 2011, whilst running a half marathon for charity.
Matt was a fit and healthy young man. He did not smoke and took part in many other strenuous sports such as rock climbing, mountain biking and ski touring. In the months leading up to the Humber Half Marathon, Matt trained hard and even took part in a 10k achieving a fast time of 45 minutes.
It was a huge shock to learn that his death was not related to an unknown underlying condition. It was immediately apparent this was not uncommon, and many amateur runners and athletes die each year in the UK and around the world whilst taking part in Marathons, Triathlons and other endurance events.
These types of illnesses most commonly include, hypothermia (overheating), hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), hyponatremia (low blood salt) and sudden cardiac arrest. So we began our first project, which was to promote safety and best practice in race medicine and treatment of illnesses commonly found during marathons and other similar events and hopefully, as a result, reduce the number of deaths in perfectly healthy adults, through both research and education. In 2013 in partnership with the American Road Racing Medical Society (ARRMS), the Foundation helped create the International Institute of Race Medicine (IIRM).
The timeline below highlights the establishment and growth of the International Institute for Race Medicine, along with various achievements, collaborations, and research initiatives aimed at improving medical care and athlete safety in marathons and other endurance races.
Matt enjoying a weekend out hiking.
Latest Project Updates
2019
The IIRM achieves milestones, including the trial of a medical symposium series at the Boston Marathon, establishment of a quarterly journal on Endurance Medicine, speaking engagements at World Congresses, and partnership with the IAAF.
Training with the French Red Cross has also taken place to develop race medicine protocols with hopes of transferring the knowledge to the UK Red Cross.
Further funding has been provided to IIRM to support its continuing operations.
2017
The IIRM grows with the help of a further Matthew Good Foundation grant, allowing more races to benefit from the organisation's guidance.
2015
IIRM Medical Care Manual Launches
The IIRM Medical Care Manual is a single complete guide to medical care at road races, park runs and marathons. It aims to provide a guidebook for organisers of races of all sizes.
April 2014
Tim Good provides an update on the project at the London Marathon Medical Conference.
2014
Learning Videos Released
Distance learning videos on race organization and medical volunteering are launched.
November 2013
Visits to the Korey Stringer Institute and New York Marathon help form alliances and observe best practices.
September 2013
Research project begins
A year-long research project on race medicine begins at Loughborough University.
April 2013
Tim Good and other members visit the London Marathon to discuss research and collaboration opportunities.
January 2013
IIRM Launches
The International Institute for Race Medicine (IIRM) is launched to improve the standard of medical care at marathons.
November 2012
Chris Price completes 32 half marathons
After running just behind Matt in the 2011 Humber Half Marathon, Chris Price, pledged to run 32 Half Marathons in 2012 (one for every year of Matt's life) to raise money for the Foundation and our project to support medical research and awareness in runners.
October 2012
Tim Good visited Chicago Marathon to review their race medicine practices. The event is known for its advancements in medical protocols, and the Medical Director, George Chiampas, was involved in establishing an organisation to promote best practices in race medicine.
2011
The Foundation's First Project
Following Matt’s death, the family decided to kick off the Foundation with this first grassroots project.