The 45-year-old who was an experienced runner, a member of Holme Pierrepont Running Club and completed the London Marathon in under three hours died on his way back home from the race on Sunday 23 April.
Stephen’s wife Jessica Shanks said in a statement:
‘I have some very sad news to share.
‘It’s with great sadness that I wish to announce the loss of my wonderful husband, Stephen Shanks.
‘His passing was sudden and out of the blue on 23 April.
‘He was returning home having spent the day participating in the London Marathon.
‘As you can imagine I’m absolutely in shock and devastated.
Holme Pierrepont Running Club said: “Stephen had won many club championships over all distances, achieving a clean sweep in 2009.
‘He competed in races all over Europe and was a keen parkrun tourist, with a penchant for Poland. He represented the club in cross country, and won a club fell running championship in 2008.”
Stephen ran the race in two hours and 53 minutes and was pictured after the race celebrating with a cocktail and his medal. There will be a post-mortem examination to establish the cause of his death.
A fundraiser for the Multiple Sclerosis Society has been set up in memory of Steve. It was a cause close to his heart because a number of his close friends have MS.
At the time of publishing the page has raised over £11,000.
Steve was a keen runner never happier than running anything, from his local Parkrun, to the Bob Graham Round.
If you would like to donate the page is here: In Memory of Steve Shanks
The fundraiser reads:
But he was more than just a runner he was musician, a knitter, and a renowned quizzer possessed of extensive knowledge of terrible pop music.
He was a loving husband and soulmate of his wife Jess, treasured son and son in law, and a much loved friend. He will be greatly missed and always in our hearts and memories.
More information about Multiple Sclerosis Society: More than 130,000 people in the UK have MS. The MS Society is here for every one of them, through the highs, lows and everything in between.
There is no cure, but we offer hope for the future by investing millions in research, and help for today through our information, support and campaigning.
Together we are strong enough to stop MS.
