Runner dies after collapsing during bank holiday marathon in Belfast

A runner has died after collapsing during the Belfast Marathon.

Emergency services were alerted to the casualty at around 11am yesterday, a Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) spokesman said.

The runner, aged in his 50s, collapsed at around the sixth mile and was taken to hospital where he later died. It’s understood it was the man’s first marathon, although he was a regular runner.

Two senior members of the management team visited the family, a spokeswoman for the marathon said.

A post-mortem examination is due to be carried out later.

The man was among 17,000 runners taking part in the 37th annual Belfast City Marathon, which was won by Kenyan Eric Koech. In April, Masterchef finalist Matt Campbell, 29, collapsed at the London marathon and died in hospital.

He had reached the 22.5-mile mark and had been running in memory of his late father.

Hundreds of runners later “finished the race” in his honour.

His aim had been to raise £2,500 for the Brathay Trust, but more than £350,000 has been donated since he died.