Tragic Death During London Marathon

The annual London Marathon took place on Sunday, with almost 40,000 runners raising millions of pounds for good causes. However, despite the usual excitement, fancy dress and fun, there was a tragic side to this year's Marathon. A 30-year-old runner collapsed during the final stretch of the race and died soon after.

Claire Squires was a hairdresser who had run the Marathon once before, and had even climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in March. Despite appearing in good health she collapsed near St James's Park for unknown reasons and paramedics were unable to revive her.

A statement on the London Marathon website yesterday confirmed her death, saying:

"The organisers of the Virgin London Marathon would like to express their sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. We would like to emphasise that our immediate concern is for the family of the deceased. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with them at this difficult time."

Claire Squires is the tenth runner to die during the London Marathon since it began in 1981. Though the reason for her collapse is still unknown, five of the previous runners who died had been suffering from heart disease that they were unaware of.

Flood of Donations

However, some good has come of the tragedy. Since Squires' death made the national media, donations have been flooding in to her fundraising web page. Yesterday morning the total she had raised was just £500, but that has since risen to almost £350,000. What's more, this staggering total is still rising all the time, by an amazing £16,000 an hour.

The charity benefitting from these donations is Samaritans, who, in their own words, provide "confidential emotional support 24/7 to those experiencing despair, distress or suicidal feelings".

Catherine Johnstone, chief executive of Samaritans, said:

"We are devastated following the tragic death of one of our marathon runners, and are supporting the family through this very difficult time. Our thoughts are with everyone who knew her. We appreciate all that our marathon runners do. It is with their support, commitment and fundraising efforts that we are able to offer our vital service for people with nowhere else to turn."

If you would like to donate to such a worthy cause, you can do so on Claire's JustGiving page here.

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