Family and friends of a super-fit rugby player who collapsed and died during the Bristol Half Marathon are taking on their own 13-mile challenge in his memory on Sunday.
Jon Devereux was aged just 28 when he suffered a cardiac arrest while taking part in the event in May last year.
He received medical treatment at the scene and was taken to hospital but could not be saved.
The former Chester Rugby Union Football Club athlete’s unexpected death was later put down to Sudden Adult Death Syndrome, a rare and still not understood condition in which the heart’s rhythm or electrical impulses malfunction, causing it to stop.
The condition, also known as Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome, affects around 500 young people in the UK every year.
On Sunday Jon’s parents, Linda and Stuart, both 63, plus ten other family members and friends, will don their vests and trainers and take on the Great North Run in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in his memory.
The couple, of Oscroft, near Chester, Cheshire, are hoping to raise money for two charities – Cardiac Risk in the Young and the Matt Hampson Foundation, which supports young people injured through sport.
Jon’s mother, Linda, a retired NHS manager, told the Mail that Newcastle held a special place in Jon’s heart as he spent time there as a student and playing his ‘beloved’ rugby.
Jon Devereux was only 28 when he collapsed and died while taking part in the Bristol Half Marathon in May 2025
Jon suffered a heart attack during the race and could not be saved. His death was put down to Sudden Adult Death Syndrome, which affects around 500 young people in the UK every year
Jon was a talented rugby player, who represented his home side of Chester RUFC, Tynedale RFC and Old Albanian RFC
‘Jon was a beacon of light who always lit up the room and those around him,’ she said. ‘He truly made the most of every day.
‘He played sport to a high level and was in the Newcastle Falcons development squad whilst studying in Newcastle, as well as playing for Tynedale and Chester.
‘The Great North Run was his favourite half marathon so it seemed fitting that we took on this challenge in Newcastle, a place that Jon often said was the friendliest in the UK.
‘Jon was in the prime of his life, extremely fit and about to start training for an Ironman when we suddenly lost him.
‘He is missed every day but fundraising for more research into sudden adult death allows us to channel our grief in a positive way.’
Jon, a marketing and events manager for Red Bull’s F1 Racing Team, played rugby for his hometown club of Chester from the age of five, progressing to represent the senior Chester RUFC team on numerous occasions. He also played for National League two sides Tynedale RFC, in Northumberland, and Old Albanian RFC, in Hertfordshire.
Among those running the 13-mile course on Sunday are Jon’s close friends, Louis Rigg and Harry Huxtable, both 29.
Harry, a finance manager, said: ‘It’s been a tough year, but Jon had such a strong friendship group and we’ve been spending time together and sharing stories about him to help us get through.
‘I really wanted to take part in the half marathon, especially because the Great North Run is in Newcastle which was a place really close to Jon’s heart.’
Louis, a construction site manager, added: ‘Jon was the type of person who would never sit still. Even if it was lashing with rain he would prefer to go for a walk than watch TV!
‘We had been friends since the age of 15 – we would regularly go to the gym together or for a run – it’s been really hard without him. But doing something like the Great North Run has helped with our grief and also spreads awareness for the charities as well.’
Jon was employed by Red Bull’s F1 Racing Team as a marketing and events manager at the time of his death
‘Team Dev’ (pictured) who will be tackling the 13-mile course in Newcastle to raise money for two charities in Jon’s memory
Jon’s mother, Linda, said her youngest son was ‘missed every day’, but fundraising in his memory had helped family and friends ‘channel our grief in a positive way’
Jon’s father, Stuart, a retired Station Manager with Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, said the couple, who have an older son, Tom, 32, had picked two charities to raise money for – Cardiac Risk in the Young and the Matt Hampson Foundation.
‘Jon had a wonderful life,’ he added. ‘We felt the Matt Hampson Foundation especially was a cause that he would be proud to support as he and Matt Hampson were such successful rugby players.’
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