Tributes to dad who died at Cardiff Half Marathon
Stephen Jenkins collapsed at the finish line of the Cardiff Half Marathon
- Published
A runner who died after the Cardiff Half Marathon has been described as "a wonderful son, loving partner and wonderful father".
Stephen Jenkins was "the glue among all his friends", his family said in a statement.
The 37-year-old passed away at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff after collapsing at the finish line.
The runner suffered a cardiac arrest and received immediate attention from the medical emergency team at the finish line before being taken to hospital, organisers said.
A record number of participants took part in this year's Cardiff Half Marathon
Mr Jenkins grew up in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire, and attended the local comprehensive school before studying geography at Oxford University.
He later moved to Walthamstow, London, where he lived with his partner Rhiannon Cole and their 18-month-old daughter Mabli and worked for insurance company SquareTrade.
His family said he was "a genuinely kind person that wore his heart on his sleeve".
He was a was a keen runner and cyclist and passionate about Welsh rugby, they said, rarely missing a game at the Principality Stadium since it opened.
They added he was "passionate" about his Welsh roots and the Welsh language, with his daughter already able to speak some Welsh.
A spokesman for Run 4 Wales, the organisers of the event said: "This is a terrible tragedy and our deepest sympathies go out to the runner’s family."
Organisers described this year's race as the "biggest ever year" with 29,000 people signing up to take part.