A paramedic is currently receiving treatment in intensive care after suffering a cardiac arrest merely one mile from the finish line of the London Marathon. Gareth Hopkins, 43, from Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, was running on April 26 in honour of his late grandmother to raise funds for the charity Age UK.
Incident Details
The father of two, who has dedicated 20 years to the East of England Ambulance Service, collapsed at mile 25 and was rushed to hospital. He remains critically ill in intensive care. In response, friends have established a GoFundMe page that has raised over £26,000 to support his wife Jodie and their young children during his treatment.
Mr Hopkins's friends James Pearson and Katie Earley wrote on the page: 'As many of you already know, our dear friend and colleague, Gareth Hopkins, tragically suffered a cardiac arrest at mile 25 of the London Marathon on Sunday 26 April. Gareth was running in support of Age UK in memory of his beloved late Nan. He is currently critically ill in intensive care at a London hospital. While the future remains uncertain, we continue to stay hopeful and positive.'
'This sudden and devastating event has had a profound impact on Gareth's wife, Jodie, their young children, his parents, and his brother. Gareth has dedicated the past 20 years to serving others as a paramedic with the East of England Ambulance Service. Throughout his career, he has always been committed to helping people in their time of need.'
'Many friends, family, and colleagues have kindly asked how they can support Gareth and his family during this incredibly difficult time. In response, we have set up this page to help ease some of the financial and practical pressures while Gareth receives treatment in London. Thank you all for your kindness, love, and support.'
Background on the Runner
Mr Hopkins only began running last August and entered the marathon with his brother Chris, the head groundsman at Stevenage Football Club. They were running in memory of their grandmother Tricia Potts, who passed away in January last year after a six-year battle with Alzheimer's and dementia.
Speaking to the BBC before the race, Mr Hopkins said: 'I've never done any exercise for five years. I don't go to the gym; I'm not a runner. I watched Chris do it last year… and I thought 'I can probably do that'.' He added that when he started the NHS 'Couch to 5K programme', he could not even run for two minutes but had since lost a stone in weight. He also mentioned he did not expect to match his brother's speed but was determined to finish 'regardless' despite shin pain.
Marathon Records
The race saw Sabastian Sawe smash the marathon world record, becoming the first man to break the two-hour barrier in an official competition, winning in one hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds. The Kenyan defended his 2025 title, beating Yomif Kejelcha by 11 seconds. The Ethiopian runner-up also finished in one hour, 59 minutes and 41 seconds, while Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda came third in two hours, 28 seconds. All three surpassed the previous official world record of two hours, 35 seconds set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in 2023. Sawe's time was also 10 seconds faster than the unofficial one hour, 59 minutes and 40 seconds set by Eliud Kipchoge in 2019.
In the women's race, Tigst Assefa defended her London Marathon crown with a women's-only world record of two hours, 15 minutes and 41 seconds.
