Two friends of a man who tragically collapsed and died while running the Brighton Marathon are taking part in this year’s race in his memory.

Jamie Ellingford and Daniel Padfield have decided to take part in the event on Sunday on behalf of Sam Harper-Brighouse and the charity he was supporting.

Mr Harper-Brighouse, 23, had covered about 16 miles of last year’s marathon before collapsing with “catastrophic and unsurvivable” bowel disease and internal bleeding.

An inquest held last August found that his cause of death was contributed to by a reaction to hyperthermia, dehydration and exertion, as well as four ibuprofen tablets and sports supplements that he took during the race.

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Mr Harper-Brighouse, who was from London, was a former student from Sheffield University and was running for Arms Around The Child, a charity which supports Aids orphans.

Mr Ellingford and Mr Padfield, who are fellow Sheffield graduates, are aiming to raise as much as they can in his name this Sunday.

Mr Ellingham, who lives in Wrexham, North Wales, said: “Sam was a very down to earth person, he loved his football.

“He was always a leader on the field.

“One of my best memories of Sam was him turning up to one of our football games painted from head-to-toe in blue body paint.

“He’d gone out in fancy dress as a smurf the day before, couldn’t get the paint off, but wouldn’t let his mates down.”

To support the runners, visit www.justgiving.com/biology-football-for-sam.