Chefs Jamie Park and Tom Peters are asking fellow Londoners to join them this Sunday in completing the last 3.7 miles of the London Marathon in memory of their friend Matt Campbell, who tragically passed away whilst running on Sunday for Brathay Trust.
Jamie, who is the Head Chef at Adam Handling’s The Frog E1, and Tom, who is the Senior Sous Chef at Roux at Parliament Square, first met Matt whilst they were filming as contestants on MasterChef: The Professionals in December. The three became incredibly close and carried on cooking at events and in each other’s restaurants following the series. Tom and Matt were both running the marathon on Sunday when Matt collapsed at the 22.5 mile mark.
“Matt was the sort of guy you like from the first day you meet him, and over the past 12 months I’ve known him he has inspired me inside and outside the kitchen. As a cook he was incredibly clever, creative and conscious about what he was feeding people. He changed my perception about what it is to be a chef; he was a nutritionist, eco warrior and humanitarian, all at the same time as being “just a chef”. People who see the whole picture don’t come along very often and he helped me do the same. As a person he was very humble, he had time for everyone and he was just the nicest guy. He will be greatly missed and never forgotten. My thoughts are with his family and friends.”
Says Tom Peters:
“I met Matt in the MasterChef kitchen, and something that should have been so competitive and nerve-racking just became so fun and it was inspiring to work next to such an interesting chef. He was infectious with his passion, not only for cooking but for healthy eating and also running. He helped me massively with my preparation for the London marathon. The 3.7 miles we are running on Sunday is symbolic for Matt, as we’ll be finishing the rest of the marathon course for him. The #MilesForMatt has become a nationwide event taking place over the next week, with everyone involved donating to the Brathay Trust.”
Starting at Shadwell Station, Jamie and Tom will “finish” the last 3.7 miles in Matt’s honour on the pavement along the London Marathon route. The chefs are calling on anyone and everyone to join them, invite friends and family, and walk, jog, or run together in Matt’s memory. Runners are also invited to donate to Matt’s JustGiving page which, at the time of writing, has raised over £150,000.
Jamie and Tom have set up a Facebook Event here
Matt’s JustGiving page can be found here