From heart surgery to London Marathon heroics: Ryan McLeod’s remarkable return

Former British half marathon champion Ryan McLeod, who collapsed and underwent heart surgery in 2016, completed the 2026 London Marathon in 2:19:41, finishing 13th overall and first in the M40 category off the mass start. The Morpeth Harrier, who had previously represented Great Britain at the 2016 World Half Marathon Championships and held a personal best of 64:18 for the half marathon, had believed his competitive running career was over following his cardiac episode. McLeod described his emotional return as running 'to the best of my ability on the day,' expressing immense pride in the achievement despite it falling short of his time goals.