By Olivia dePunte
Avive is loaning out 20 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) for race weekend – small but powerful machines that will be placed throughout the course with the power to save a runner’s life. An AED is a portable, lifesaving device used to treat sudden cardiac arrest by analyzing the heart’s rhythm and delivering an electrical shock. It acts as a critical, user-friendly tool to restore normal heart function before emergency services arrive.
The company Avive specializes in creating portable and lightweight AEDs that are the first of their kind to directly connect to 911 and mobilize response time. Medical Team Coordinator Chris Troyanos reached out to Avive at the start of 2026 to see if they would be interested in partnering with the race, and they responded with a generous donation of 20 of their AEDs for race weekend.
“These are small AEDs, the size of the router,” explains Troyanos. “But they are very powerful and I’ve seen them used all over the country.” The AEDs will be stationed throughout the race course, and are meant to be user-friendly enough for anyone to use them in case of an emergency situation.
Most importantly, “It improves our response time so our mobile medical team can respond quickly and defibrillate within a short amount of time before we transport.” The medical team is always seeking to adapt and improve safety measures with each race, and they have been working to create more awareness around the treatment for cardiac arrest.
If an AED is not accessible, then Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) can be performed as a first measure to help someone experiencing a cardiac arrest. CPR involves a series of rapid chest compressions in order to pump blood flow and oxygen to vital organs before medical help arrives, in some cases doubling or tripling a person’s survival chances.
CPR is a useful skill for anyone to learn because there is nothing needed beyond their own two hands. In an effort to promote the education of this life-saving technique, a CPR training video was circulated to all the runners last year. “It was very well received,” shares Troyanos.
“In the Expo we had a CPR demonstration booth where people could come by and try it,” Troyanos continues. “In the same booth this year Avive is going to have a representative showing people what this special AED is like.”
The new partnership with Avive is set to improve response time in case of cardiac arrest, and their AED loan is yet another layer of safety measures to give runners the peace of mind that their health is in good hands with the medical team. “With our reputation as a medical team they felt this would be a good relationship,” says Troyanos. “And we hope it’ll be a long one.”