Matt Campbell, a professional chef who appeared on the BBC television show “Masterchef: The Professionals” in 2017, had died after collapsing during the marathon. He has collapsed after running 22.5 miles of the 26.2-mile course on Sunday, 22 April, the London Marathon organisation said in a statement.
The 29-year-old was running his first London marathon had received immediate medical treatment on the scene from race doctors but died later in hospital.
London marathon race director Hugh Brasher paid tribute to Campbell,
“In historical terms, I believe in 38 editions of the event we have had over one million finishers and sadly there have been 14 deaths,” Brasher said. “It is unusual and always tragic when it happens. There will be an autopsy so we can’t – and we shouldn’t – speculate about what should happen next. All we should say is that our thoughts are with Matt’s family and friends.”
Temperature The Possible Cause of Death?
Although the temperatures during the 2018 race peaked at 24.1C, making the race the hottest ever, London Marathon organisers has denied the speculation that the temperature had been a factor in Matt’s death.
Previously, a high of 22.7C (72.8C) was recorded at St James’s Park in 1996 and 22.6C (72.6F) in 2007.
London marathon organisers say a medical examination is still required to discover the cause of death and the family has asked for privacy.
Total London Marathon Death Till Date
Since the first race in 1981, 11 runners have died, The Guardian reported – which makes Matt Campbell the 12th contestant to pass away.
A study by the American College of Cardiology in 2009, found that the risk of death from running a marathon is 0.8 per 100,000 people which is significantly lower than dying from childbirth in the UK which in 2012 was 8.6 in 100,000 births, reports the Telegraph.
Despite the high temperatures, a record number of participants completed the marathon, with 40,255 runners crossing the finish line. About 750 of those who started the race did not complete the course.
A record 386,050 people applied for this year’s race – almost a third more than 2017 and the highest number for any marathon in the world.
The next London Marathon will be on Sunday, 28 April 2019.
Featured Photo Credit: London Marathon
