A heart attack, a rescue and a recovery at the Boston Marathon - ESPN

2:28 PM ET

Kelly CohenESPN

A seasoned marathon runner is "grateful" for the strangers that came to her aid at the 8-mile marker of the Boston Marathon earlier this month when she had a heart attack.

Meghan Roth, 33, of Minneapolis, collapsed 8 miles into the 125th running of the prestigious event. This wasn't Roth's first time running a marathon. She previously qualified for the U.S. Olympic trials during the 2019 Boston Marathon.

"Going into the race, felt in the best shape of my life," Roth told WCVB News of Boston. "It was literally seconds when, all of a sudden, I kind of went fuzzy, and I remember looking down at my feet, then all of a sudden I just went down. I don't even remember hitting the ground."

Near Roth, who was going into cardiac arrest, was Nick Haney, a paramedic from Portland, Oregon. He stopped and performed chest compressions on her. A doctor and an emergency room physician assistant also stopped to help, according to KSTP News in Minneapolis.

Roth, the mother of a 9-month-old boy, was brought to Tufts Medical Center in Boston, where it was determined she had inflammation of the heart. This week, she received an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, a device that monitors and helps regulate electrical problems with the heart.

"She is grateful for everyone's support during this time. The support has helped her stay positive and in good spirits. She appreciates the help more than she can express in words," her friend and fellow runner Victoria Phillippi wrote on her GoFundMe page.

Roth is now back at home and recovering in Minneapolis with her son.

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