Masterchef Contestant Matt Campbell, 29, Dies After Collapsing While Running London Marathon
April 23, 2018
BBC
A former Masterchef: The Professionals contestant has died after collapsing during the London Marathon on Sunday.
Matt Campbell, 29—a professional chef who had previously competed on the BBC cooking show in 2017—collapsed around the 22.5 mile mark (out of 26.2 miles for the full marathon), according to an official statement from the London Marathon. He was subsequently taken to the hospital where he later passed away.
“Matt was a well-known chef who featured in Masterchef: The Professionals last year, inspiring viewers with his Nutritional Gastronomy movement and forward-thinking ideas. He was running for The Brathay Trust and in memory of his father, Martin, who died in the summer of 2016,” the statement included.
The marathon, which drew over 40,000 participants, was the hottest on record with temperatures around 75 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the BBC.
Campbell was active on social media leading up to the race, posting a picture of his running gear and announcing that it was his second marathon in two weeks, having previously ran in the Manchester Marathon on April 8.
He also posted a photo with friend and fellow Masterchef contestant Tom Peters moments before the race began. “Let’s do this!!” he captioned.
Let’s do this!! 👊 @ChefTomPeters @LondonMarathon @RouxAPS @michelrouxjr @BrathayEvents @MasterChefUK @CanteenTweets #spiritoflondon pic.twitter.com/OWYcwhKXzv
— Matthew Campbell (@mCampbellCHEF) April 22, 2018
Campbell had previously posted a joyous photo following the Manchester Marathon, touting his time of 2 hours and 56 minutes.
“I felt like running sub 3 [under three hours] was over ambitious particularly with how much has been going on this year so far,” he wrote. “I am loving life right now, saying yes to every challenge. Thank you to my friends and family for always supporting me and giving me the confidence to just go for it.”
“Running has been amazing for me over the past 2 years, considering I only ran my first marathon 20 months ago, it’s helped me through grief, helped me de-stress, helped me process information after a long day and helped me menu plan!” he added. “To anybody considering even entering a 5K this year I say go for it. Life happens outdoors.”
Peters posted a tribute to his friend on Instagram on Monday. “Matt, feel so blessed to of shared so much with you in a short amount of time, words can’t describe how we’re all feeling at this time,” he wrote. “You were an inspiration to so many in so many different ways, the world has lost a star and we’ve all lost a brother!”
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As the London Marathon’s statement mentioned, Campbell was running to raise money for Brathay Trust, an organization that aims to improve the lives of children, in honor of his father, Martin, who passed away 18 months ago. Since Campbell’s passing on Sunday, the charity has received over £53,000 in his honor, the BBC reports.
“Matt and his family have been tireless in supporting the work of Brathay Trust and our thoughts and prayers are with them at this terrible time,” the organization wrote on their website.