'My heart just stopped': B.C. runner seeks redemption after heart failure at 2019 finish, pandemic postponement in 2020
The last time the starting gun fired for the Royal Victoria Marathon, Jason DeRuiter ran the best marathon of his life, and then nearly lost it.
On Thanksgiving long weekend in 2019, DeRuiter, a Nanaimo man in his mid-40s, crossed the finish line of the marathon often referred to as the Good Life Marathon.
Noticing something was off, he stumbled into the medical tent and crumpled to the ground.
"My heart just stopped,” said DeRuiter.
His cardiac trouble was serious, but also happened in the most ideal place for his survival.
A doctor from the Royal Jubilee hospital happened to be volunteering at the time and quickly began life-saving measures.
According to DeRuiter, his heart stopped for seven minutes, effectively leaving him dead for the short window in time.
"My last memory was about halfway through the race, and then three days later when I woke up in Royal Jubilee,” DeRuiter told CTV News Vancouver Island.
Following a battery of tests, his doctors were left with few concrete answers.
His medical team didn’t know why his heart failed at the finish line, but were seeing him gain strength.
After the drama of the heart-stopping finish, race organizers made a special visit to his hospital bed to deliver his race medal.
Holding it, Jason knew he had to race again, but the pandemic would soon step in his way.
Redemption would take longer than the Nanaimo runner thought. Two years, to be exact, but his time has come.
The Royal Victoria Marathon will be the first premier race to return amid the continuing pandemic.
"There is no normal about this year. After 20 years, I think this is the hardest one,” said race director Cathy Noel.
The race’s return comes in the form of a half-marathon, as the full version posed too many road-closure and health-related issues.
Still, organizers say despite some changes, the marathon’s ethos is the same.
"Running is a big community, so seeing people come together, that is what this is about,” said Noel.
This Sunday, DeRuiter will lace his runners tight and pound the pavement in an official marathon for the first time since his hospital stay.
"It's just a celebration: that races are happening, for being back, and that I can even do sports,” DeRuiter said in a FaceTime interview.
You can probably expect the Nanaimo runner to put down a good time Sunday morning.
Two years ago – despite dropping to the ground, his heart stopping for seven long minutes and spending several weeks in hospital – DeRuiter crossed the finish line with a fast enough run to qualify for the Boston Marathon.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Lack of detention space could force CBSA to release detainees, internal memo warns
The Canada Border Services Agency is scrambling to find space to hold high-risk detainees that are set to be transferred from provincial jails in June.
BREAKING American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
BREAKING Allman Brothers Band co-founder and legendary guitarist Dickey Betts dies at 80
Guitar legend Dickey Betts, who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote their biggest hit, 'Ramblin' Man,' has died. He was 80.
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
Police make arrests in grandparent scam that defrauded victims out of $739K
Ontario Provincial Police say they have 'disrupted' an organized crime group that allegedly used an emergency grandparent scam to defraud seniors across Canada out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Taylor Swift's new album allegedly 'leaked' on social media and it's causing a frenzy
A Google Drive link allegedly containing 17 tracks that are purportedly from Swift's eagerly awaited "The Tortured Poets Department" album has been making the rounds on the internet in the past day and people are equal parts mad, sad and happy about it.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
What does it mean to be 'house poor' and how can you avoid it?
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Calgary man charged with manslaughter in death of toddler
Calgary police say Winston Campbell, 45, has been charged in the death of a two-year-old girl in 2022.