ORGANISERS of a charity run have praised medical experts and participants who helped a man who collapsed at the end of a race.

The man suffered a cardiac arrest after completing the Paras’ 10 - a ten-mile race around Friday Woods and Colchester Garrison whilst carrying a 35lb fully packed rucksack - which is open to both soldiers and civilians.

He was flown to Basildon Hospital where there is a specialist cardiology unit.

The event is organised by Parachute Regiment charity Support Our Paras and charity director Stephen Cooper said the man was recovering.

He said: "We have had a message from his wife to say he is sitting up and cracking jokes.

"It was a serious matter but there were a lot of people there to help and the ambulance was on scene within five and seven minutes and it was a good demonstration of how to respond in an emergency."

Secretary Natalie Urbaniak said the man had been cared for by other runners until help arrived.

She said: “There was a participant who fell ill at the end of the race. A lot of our guys stepped in to take charge of him and help him.

“He was then airlifted away to hospital. We called to find out if he was OK and were told he was doing well. Everyone is grateful for the speedy response.”

Major Adam Jowett from the Parachute Regiment headquarters said: “The regimental recruiting team were among the first responders before the ambulance arrived and he was taken away to hospital.

“Our thoughts are with him and we are hoping for a speedy recovery.”

This year, a number of the dozens of participants were running for Team Breya - a charity set up to help pay for treatment for toddler Breya Ward who was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancerous tumour which had taken over her stomach in January last year.

Mum Holly Robinson and dad Ollie Ward, a sergeant with the 2nd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment in Colchester, are raising funds for a vaccine therapy trial administered in New York.