A veteran marathon participant is championing efforts to increase cardiopulmonary resuscitation training after surviving a cardiac arrest within sight of the Newport Marathon finish line.
The athlete, identified only as Roy, had been targeting a personal record during the 2026 event when he collapsed in the closing section of the course.
His final recollection before losing consciousness was positioning himself for a concluding sprint, and he subsequently awoke in medical care.
Roy has since thrown his support behind a St John Ambulance Cymru initiative marking Restart a Heart Day, observed annually on October 16.
The campaign seeks to broaden awareness of CPR techniques across Wales.
Gaz Lloyd-Ford, serving as a volunteer nurse with the organisation, was stationed at the finish line when Roy buckled at his knees.
Recognising the indicators of cardiac arrest, Lloyd-Ford commenced chest compressions without delay.
Colleagues transported the runner to an on-site medical facility where monitoring equipment was affixed, his condition was assessed, and he received intravenous hydration along with adrenaline.
Once cardiac rhythm was restored, paramedics conveyed him to hospital.
Following his recovery, Roy and Lloyd-Ford have maintained communication.
Statistics from the Resuscitation Council UK indicate that fewer than ten percent of individuals experiencing a cardiac emergency outside hospital settings survive.
Restart a Heart Day was established to alter these figures by promoting broader CPR education.
St John Ambulance Cymru instructed more than twenty thousand individuals in emergency response procedures throughout 2025.
The charity also conducted a single-day training session for over thirteen hundred students and personnel at Haverfordwest High VC School during its Defibruary programme.