Runner who completed Peterborough half marathon despite heart attack before the start returns to work

A normally super-fit runner completed a gruelling half-marathon in Peterborough- only to discover he had had suffered a serious heart attack at the start.

Dick Cheung, 48, was warming up for the 13 mile race in October last year when he felt ill and collapsed to the ground where he lay passed out for 20 seconds.

The keen runner was helped to his feet by fellow competitors and despite feeling dazed and confused shrugged off it off and took part in the event.

Mr Cheung went on to complete the Peterborough Half Marathon in a time of just over one hour and 35 minutes but now realises he is “lucky to be alive”.

Soon after finishing, the head chef of his family's Chinese takeaway business began to feel dizzy and went to the St Johns Ambulance tent for help.

They gave him an ECG and found he had an abnormal heart rhythm, urging him to head to Peterborough City Hospital, close to the half-marathon.

He said: "I felt dizzy and unwell and I remember them telling me it was serious."

Mr Cheung said he just wanted to go home to Halleston, Norfolk, and went to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital later that day.

He said: "An invasive angiogram revealed I had blocked arteries and would have to have a triple bypass - it was a complete shock.

"I had heart attack before the half marathon and I'm lucky to be alive."

After three weeks in hospital, Mr Cheung was moved to the Royal Papworth Hospital but was unable to have the surgery after catching Covid.

On November 22, he underwent successful heart surgery and was discharged on December 1.

Mr Cheung said: "The recovery has been slow as my chest bone has to heal but everything's gone really well.

"If it wasn't for the half marathon, I don't think I've be here today."

Mr Cheung, with his twin brother Jack, took up running to honour the memory of their older brother Sze-Ming who was killed after being hit by a car on his bike in 2018.

The 44-year-old had been cycling as part of training for an iron man race in Italy when he was involved in a fatal crash with a grey Nissan Navara on June 7, 2018.

An inquest held into Sze-Ming's death in 2020 heard his bike had been struck by the Nissan which swerved to avoid a van that had overtaken the cyclist.

The driver was found to be under the influence of alcohol and subsequently arrested for drink driving and causing death by dangerous driving.

But despite being found to be more than twice the legal limit for driving, the driver was never charged with an offence.

The case was further reviewed and a 35-year-old man was arrested in October 2020 on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

Police later confirmed that due to insufficient evidence, no further action will be taken against the man.

Jack, Dick and Sze-Ming's brother said: "We want to continue enjoying running in memory of of Sze-Ming and look forward to the future with positivity.

"Keeping Sze-Ming’s flame alive with good health is always important to us."

Mr Cheung's first day back at work as a head chef for his family's Chinese takeaway Chung Hing was last week.

He said: "I'm looking forward to the future, and me and Jack hope to run a marathon next year - it's given me a goal to get better.

"You never know what’s around the corner, life is precious and enjoy it to the full."