Rob Bennett, an experienced runner,with no known health problems, went for a run near his home in Swansea and suffered a cardiac arrest the day before his 57th birthday.
Kev Morgan and Rob Bennett were running buddies as well as brothers, but their plan to run an ultra marathon together never came to fruition.
Last year Rob, an experienced runner of decades, who was apparently fit and healthy, went out for his usual weekend run and had a cardiac arrest. It was the day before what would have been his 57th birthday and all his cards and presents were ready for him at home.
Despite the efforts of a member of the public, who called emergency services, Rob, never regained consciousness. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here.
Rob, a married father of three teenagers, from Swansea, was kept on life support in Morriston Hospital for several days, but tests confirmed that loss of oxygen had left no brain activity, said Kev.
Rob, who worked at the DVLA, had been apparently fit. A healthy weight, he had run regularly for decades and did not suffer from diabetes or known high cholesterol.
But hospital tests revealed a blood clot that had caused the cardiac arrest that killed him, said Kev.
“He was just out on a 10 mile run, which was quite normal for him – we are both road runners. We did not expect it. The year prior we ran a marathon together in Pembrey. He was tired but fine after that and no signs he was in distress, but they found a partial blockage in one of his arteries in hospital.
“Rob started running in his 40s and ran four or five times a week ranging from six to 10 miles. He was really slim and fit and it was an absolute shock.”
Kev admits that for about a month after the tragedy in May 2025 he was too frightened to run himself, but soon he was back training.
This summer he completed the gruelling 100km ultra-endurance challenge across the Bannau Brycheiniog in memory of Rob and to raise money for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Cymru
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Kev completed the brutal Brecons Way Ultra 100km in a 23 hours and nine minutes, saying thoughts of Rob kept him going over rough terrain and through hours of dark, light and rain along the challenging route.
He said Rob’s sudden and unexpected death rocked the family, but he could have died whether he had been running, or not.
Rob’s wife was alerted almost immediately because her husband’s runner’s heart rate monitor was connected from his phone to hers. When it bleeped and she saw Rob must have collapsed she raced to the scene to find an ambulance crew already there.
“We’ll never know how long Rob was without help, or whether a trained passer-by or a nearby defibrillator could have saved him — but it’s possible. And that possibility was the driving force behind this Brecons Way Ultra 100k challenge,” says Kev.
“My brother and I had always talked about doing an ultramarathon one day, but it was one of those things we never got around to. This was my way of doing it for him.
“It was a tough day, and the race left me questioning my life choices at times, but I’m really proud to have finished the race.
“Raising more than £2,000 along the way for BHF Cymru is an added bonus. I ran the ultra to raise awareness of how vital CPR training and quick access to defibrillators can be. With greater CPR awareness and wider access to defibrillators, another family’s story could have a different ending.”
Kev said long-distance running has also help him to process his grief at suddenly losing Rob, who, at 10 years older, was a father figure.
“He wore a heart rate monitor like a lot of runners do, it was connected to his watch and alerted his wife that there had been a cardiac event because it was also connected to her phone.
“His wife drove to the location and paramedics were there. They have three children, twins aged 18 and a 15 year -old. It’s really terrible for the family.
“It is crazy to think we ran the Great Welsh Run only the year before, We were always talking about one day doing an ultra marathon together. That was a running conversation that never came about.
“Initially it had a massive effect on my running. I did not want to do it. I really relate what happened to him to running. That was how I processed it.
“But we don’t know whether it was his running that was the catalyst. it could have happened when he was sitting at work.
Kev, who works for The Foster Care Charity, runs several times a week on routes ranging from five to 30 miles. He said Rob became a male role model as well as a brother after his father died.
Kev lost his father aged 12 to a brain haemorrhage and when his mother married again Rob became his half brother.
“He was a bit of a male role model all my life as he is older than me.”
Kev, who has an 18 month-old daughter Layla with his partner Jessica Samuel wants to honour Rob’s memory by running and raising awareness and money for BHF Cymru.
“The ultra marathon was crazy. It took me a year’s training to get ready and when I did it I was thinking about my brother all the time. That helped a lot.
“I set off at 12pm on the Saturday and was back on the Sunday 23 hours and nine minutes later. It was a really tough race and I was determined to do it, for Rob, before the 24 hour cut off time.
“Running has helped me come to terms with losing my brother. It’s given me the time and space to think, and to focus on doing something positive in his memory. If this challenge helps even one person understand CPR or find a defibrillator in time, then it will be worth it.”
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