Iceland boss Richard Walker has thanked medics for saving his life after collapsing while running the London Marathon.
The supermarket boss, 43, said he collapsed unconscious just over a mile from the marathon finish line on Sunday with a body temperature of 42 degrees.
Mr Walker told The Telegraph: “St John’s Ambulance are incredible, I was out of it for about half an hour and when I came around, I was covered in ice and they told me I was in hyperthermic shock.
“My body temperature was 42 degrees, and they said I could have easily died without intervention.
“It was obviously terrifying, but the work the volunteers did [on Sunday] saved my life, and what’s more they were calm, professional and kind throughout.”
Mr Walker admitted that he had not trained enough and pushed himself too hard during the race.
He said: “The big lesson here for me is training – I climbed Everest last year and I thought that I could really push myself beyond my limit, but I clearly went too hard. I’m indebted to St John’s Ambulance and I’ve seen what brilliant work they do.”
The former Tory donor, who defected to the Labour Party earlier this year, was running the marathon with Iceland colleague Simon Felstead to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Mr Walker’s mother, Lady Walker, died from Alzheimer’s in 2021. He also climbed the world’s tallest mountain to raise money for dementia research.
The tycoon, who said he did not remember much of the race, added: “I’m also totally in awe of everyone who ran the marathon, and all the inspiring stories behind people’s motivation for doing so. Seeing all the charity efforts was just so emotional.”
Mr Walker was previously a donor to the Conservative Party and planned to stand as an MP. However, he quit the Tories in October, accusing the party of being “badly out of touch”.
Writing for the Guardian, the businessman said: “I am certainly not willing to make compromises with a party which has clearly lost its way on its approach to net zero and the environment in particular.”
He also took aim at the Government for wavering on major infrastructure projects such as HS2, saying the UK was “crying out” for stability and certainty.
In January, Mr Walker announced he had switched allegiance to the Labour Party, saying it was the “right choice” for businesses.
The Iceland boss threw his weight behind Sir Keir Starmer, saying he had “exactly what it takes to be a great leader”.
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