A review is underway after the tragic death of two young men during the Cardiff Half Marathon in the first week of October. The deaths have reignited the debate on the potential risks of running and whether checks need to be introduced.
Ben McDonald, 25, from the Vale of Glamorgan, and Dean Fletcher, 32, from Exeter, both suffered cardiac arrests after completing the Cardiff Half Marathon.
Ben worked at Cardiff White Water Centre in Cardiff Bay and was a keen bodyboarder, snowboarder and kayaker.
Dean was an accountant and a father of one and leaves behind wife Katie and young daughter Evie. He was running to raise funds research into neuroscience and mental health.
Chief executive of Run 4 Wales Matt Newman, who organised the Cardiff Half Marathon, said that the medical team and emergency services reacted to the situation with great speed and professionalism but there was nothing his medical team could have done to prevent the deaths of the two runners.
They were both treated at a medical facility in Cathays Park before being taken by ambulance to UHW. Mr Newman confirmed that the two men were the first fatalities in the 15-year history of the race.
