Marathon runner's death inspires $1M in donations

This is an undated handout photo from RAFA of Claire Squires. / AP Photo/RAFA/PA

(AP) LONDON - Donations to the charity supported by a 30-year-old woman who died during the London Marathon topped $1 million on Wednesday as thousands took up her cause.

Claire Squires entered the race to raise money for an organization that helps prevent suicides and had collected about $800 online before she set off on the 26.2-mile course on Sunday. By Wednesday, the fundraising total in her name had reached $1.1 million with more than 60,000 donations.

Squires collapsed near Buckingham Palace near the end of the race, and her death has touched hearts in Britain and beyond.

"It's just overwhelming ... the generosity of people and what Claire has actually achieved," brother-in-law James Birrell told the BBC. "Something good has unfortunately come out of something bad."

The flood of donations is going to the Samaritans, which works to prevent suicide and usually raises around $6 million annually from individual donations.

"For Claire and the Samaritans, please keep the donations coming. Don't stop giving, just like her," the family said in a statement. "It's what she would have wanted ... words cannot explain what an incredible, inspirational, beautiful and driven person she was."

Squires is the 11th participant to die in the London Marathon since it started in 1981. She had climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with a friend last year to raise $2,400 for the Royal Air Force Association.

"Claire is an inspiration to us all," said friend Nicola Short, who was on the trip. "She brought laughter and love to everyone's life."

The family still doesn't know what caused the 30-year-old hairdresser from North Kilworth, England, to collapse and die.

"It is hard to understand. She was young, fit and strong and had really been looking forward to the run," said Simon Van Herrewege, Squires' boyfriend. "She was an amazing person who was always doing stuff for charity and to help others. This is a difficult time for her family."

[KnowerseekerReturns]

Why do we glorify people (jocks) who just do what other animals can do, such as run fast and catch balls? Isn't it counter-intuitive to glorify people who don't do anything to distinguish themselves from dogs and cats? And yet, most societies look down upon leaders in thought, such as scientists, engineers, etc, and only value artists slightly more. (Art and science are the only two ways in which we can distinguish ourselves from animals.) Goes to show that most people are silly creatures without purpose or value in that they are drawn to look up to other people who can simply run fast like a cheetah (a cat) or catch balls in midair like a dog.

[wlhoppers]

Squires wasn't a jock, she was a physically fit young woman who used her vitality to help others.

She has far distinguished herself as a generous and selfless person, much more than me and I'm sure you.

Go find someone else to look down on - maybe in the mirror.

[ToolMangler1]

"Goes to show that most people are silly creatures without purpose or value in that they are drawn to look up to other people who can simply run fast"

And sometimes they just find someone whom can do things better than they can and write scathing commentaries about them..

(Claire Squires entered the race to raise money for an organization that helps prevent suicides and had collected about $800 online before she set off on the 26.2-mile course on Sunday.)

"KnowitallReturns", She gave everything she had left in her life to help people, What have "YOU" done to help "ANYONE?????"

[tammydel2009]

So sad. My best friend's daughter died just short of the finish in the Dallas White Rock Lake Marathon in Dec of 2008. She was an amazing woman of 29 years old. The Dallas News did a beautiful story on her. Erin Krielow Lahr was a beautiful young woman inside & out. Her mother has reached out to many who have experienced the same type tragedies. Would be awesome if Claire's family had the same chance to be touched by Erin's story too.