A paramedic who ran the London Marathon in memory of his grandmother is fighting for his life after suffering a cardiac arrest at mile 25.
Gareth Hopkins, 43, a paramedic with the East of England Ambulance Service for 21 years, is currently being treated in intensive care in a hospital in London.
A GoFundMe page has been launched by Gareth’s friend, James Pearson, to raise money for his family to ease their financial burden while Gareth receives treatment.
“While the future remains uncertain, we continue to stay hopeful and positive,” Mr Pearson wrote on the GoFundMe page.
“This sudden and devastating event has had a profound impact on Gareth’s wife, Jodie, their young children, his parents, and his brother.”
The young father entered the marathon with his brother Chris to honour their late grandmother, Tricia Potts, who died in January last year, following a six year battle against Alzheimer’s and dementia.
He told the BBC before the race: “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.'”
Gareth said he was determined to finish the race “regardless”, having lost a stone in weight and taken on months of training.
Mr Pearson added: “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.”
Speaking to The Comet earlier this year about raising money for Age UK, Gareth said: "As a paramedic, I see first-hand the struggles our elderly population face - especially those who don’t have a family to lean on.
"My career has shown me how much a little support can change a life, and my nan’s journey showed me how much we need to do to fight dementia."
The Gofundme page set up for Gareth’s family has so far received over £28,000 in donations.
The London Marathon raised over £87.5million for charity, beating the previous record of £87.3m.
The final total for 2026 will be announced in September and is expected to hit more than £90m, organisers said.
