A man who suffered a heart attack aged 26 while running a half-marathon has spoken of his sorrow at the sudden death of Brighton Marathon runner Sam Harper Brighouse.

Joseph Tanner’s heart stopped for seven minutes when he collapsed at the finishing line during the Hastings half-marathon in 2008.

Mr Tanner, now 31, from Brighton, was eventually diagnosed with Brugada syndrome, a condition that causes a disruption of the heart’s normal rhythm.

He said: “Hearing about what happened really reminded me just how lucky I am to still be here.”

Mr Tanner is now an active supporter of the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young, which campaigns to raise awareness of undiagnosed heart conditions.

He said: “Ideally, everyone should be able to have a screening if they want one but at the moment it is only given if there is a history of heart problems in the family.

"The charity is been campaigning hard on this issue.”

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