When a person dies of cardiovascular causes during recreational running, the public frequently assumes the exercise caused the death. For a statistical perspective, the number of cardiovascular deaths while running that occur by chance alone is estimated. If white male runners resemble marathoners, being nonsmokers and at lowest lean weight, 4 deaths from cardiovascular disease would occur per yr while running 20 min, 3 times/wk and 30 deaths/yr if the 2 h after running are considered as a running-associated period. If runners resemble the white male population, then 15 deaths would occur from cardiovascular disease per year while running and 104 during the associated period. Four to 104 cardiovascular deaths per year are predicted on a purely temporal basis in white men while running.