A RUNNER who competed in Trafford’s Greater Manchester Marathon earlier this month has died while running in Sunday’s London Marathon.

Lake District-based chef Matt Campbell, aged 29, collapsed at the 22.5 mile mark and was taken to hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Last December, Mr Campbell reached the semi-finals of the BBC's MasterChef: The Professionals.

On April 8, he completed the Manchester Marathon in less than three hours.

After finishing his run on that day, he took to social media to express his feeling saying: “Amazing day @manchestermarathon perfect conditions, great support. Thank you SO much to everyone who has sponsored me, my dad and @brathaychallenges.

“I felt like running sub 3 was over ambitious particularly with how much has been going on this year so far. 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 two years, considering I only ran my first marathon 20 months ago, it’s helped me through grief, (losing his dad Martin in 2016) helped me de-stress, helped me process information after a long day and helped me menu plan! To anybody considering even entering a 5K this year I say go for it. Life happens outdoors.?”

A spokesman for ASICS Greater Manchester Marathon said: “We are devastated to hear about the tragic death of Matt Campbell at the London Marathon at the weekend.

“He completed the marathon in Manchester earlier this month as he raised money for his chosen charity, The Brathay Trust, which inspires young people to make positive changes in their lives.

All of us who are involved in the ASICS Greater Manchester Marathon offer our sincere condolences to Matt’s family and friends.

If you would like to donate to Mr Campbell’s cause, go to justgiving.com/fundraising/mattcampbell-londonmarathon