UK chef dies after collapsing in the warmest London Marathon on record

London Marathon organizers confirmed the death of a 29-year-old man who died after collapsing on Sunday at the hottest race on record for the event.

With a temperature of 23.2 C (73.8 F), the marathon surpassed the all-time record of 23 C (73 F) in 2007, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Tyler Roys. The normal high temperature in London for April 22 is 14 C (57 F).

The unusual heat was due to a system of high pressure centered over northern Germany, which allowed a southern wind to continue across with warm air, according to Roys.

"There was a threat of a storm but it stayed off to the north, so the runners didn’t face any adverse weather in those terms," Roys said.

Sunday was the fifth straight day of temperatures over 21 C (70 F), and actually the coolest day of the warm stretch. London had the highest temperature on Thursday, April 19, when it reached 28 C (83 F).

Race officials had cautioned runners not to wear costumes for the 2018 race to mitigate risk from the heat, and also provided extra ice, water, showers and medical stations, according to the Associated Press.

The runner, Matt Campbell, collapsed after 22.5 miles (36.2 kilometers) and “received immediate medical attention on the scene from race doctors,” but later died in the hospital. The cause of death is still unknown but will be determined through a medical examination.

Campbell was a chef from northwest England who last year was a contestant on a reality television cooking show, BBC’s “Masterchef: The Professionals.” He was not new to marathon running, and he had completed the Manchester Marathon in under three hours on April 8, 2018. For the London Marathon, Campbell was running for The Brathay Trust in memory of his father who died in 2016.

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