Sheffield Wednesday legend Carlton Palmer set to run London Marathon just weeks after suspected heart attack

The former Sheffield Wednesday and England midfielder was taken to Sheffield’s Royal Hallamshire Hospital after completing the Sheffield Half Marathon on Sunday, March 26. He had suffered what he said was suspected to be a small heart attack during the race and was kept in hospital for observations before eventually being discharged after tests came back negative. He said after leaving hospital that what happened to him remained a mystery but further tests were due to be carried out.

Despite the major scare, he is set to line up for the London Marathon this Sunday, April 23, less than a month after he ended up in hospital. He will be one of around 50,000 runners taking part in the annual event. He tweeted a photo showing the results of his latest training run, writing ‘all set for next Sunday London Marathon. Feeling great’, alongside praying hands, fingers crossed and heart emojis.

The results of his training run showed he covered 12 miles in just under 1hr45m, with an average heart rate of 144bpm, a high of 168bpm and a low of 91bpm.

Responding to his tweet, the former Scotland footballer and Sky Sports pundit Andy Gray wrote: “Take your time, brother, when you’re doing it.” Other followers also sent their best wishes, with one person urging him to ‘be careful’, another advising him to ‘watch the old ticker’ and others reassuring him by saying ‘you’ll smash it’.

Carlton Palmer played for the Owls between 1989 and 1994, clocking up 205 appearances before returning for a loan spell in 2001. He also played for clubs including West Bromwich Albion, Leeds United, Southampton and Nottingham Forest, and achieved 18 caps for England. Back in 2016, he underwent a life-saving five-hour operation for a heart condition, which he described at the time as a 'bolt from the blue'.