Marathon Runner Raises $400K After Death

A British mental health charity has received a flood of donations following the death of a runner in the final stretch of the London Marathon on Sunday. Claire Squires, a 30-year-old hairdresser, was running to raise money for the Samaritans, a group that offers emotional support to people in distress. Donations in her name from around the world have topped $400,000 as news of her death spreads, reports the Telegraph.

Squires, who had run the marathon before, was less than a mile from the finish line of the 26.2-mile race when she collapsed, becoming the tenth person to die in the race's 31-year history. Friends say she was running in memory of her older brother, who died from an overdose 10 years ago at the age of 25. "We desperately wish that it was not under these circumstances but we have been overwhelmed by the response from people donating in Claire’s memory," said the charity's chief executive, who is putting the donations in a tribute fund. (More London stories.)