'Sudden cardiac death' killed runner

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - A former GVSU football player who collapsed and died near the end of the 25K run at the Fifth Third River Bank Run on Saturday died of "sudden cardiac death" caused by artery disease.

An autopsy revealed Jason Kinzler had localized narrowing of the artery, Medical Examiner Dr. David Start said. The condition, atherosclerosis , is the process where deposits of fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium and other substances form plaque build up in the inner lining of the artery.

This hardening of the arteries often occurs as people get older.

A loan officer at the Leonard Street location of Mercantile Bank, Kinzler was a member of their corporate running team. In 2010, he ran the 25K in 2:01.

Around 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Kinzler collapsed at Lexington and Lake Michigan Drive and received nearly immediate attention.

A 2008 inductee to the GVSU Athletics Hall of Fame, Kinzler was 37. He leaves behind a wife and three children.

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A memorial fund for Jason Kinzler has been set up through Mercantile Bank