Family and friends of the runner who died near the end of the Great North Run made a poignant return to complete the half-marathon in his memory today (Sunday, September 15).

Scores of people, young and old, some relations and others complete strangers touched by the death of Sam Wealleans, gathered on the sea front in South Shields to run or walk the final two miles alongside the end section of the run course, on The Leas.

The 29-year-old charity runner, from Newbiggin in Northumberland, collapsed after getting into difficulties on Prince Edward Road, South Shields, having completed 11.1 miles of the 13.1-mile run, which he was running to raise funds for the mental health charity MIND, in memory of his sister.

He later died in hospital, sparking a wave of tributes on-line.

(Image: PA) One of those strangers, North Tyneside beautician Stephanie Cochrane, came up with the sentiment of completing the run in Sam's honour, on a Facebook page in his memory.

But she was staggered that up to 2,000 people pledged to take part, which sparked road safety fears, with insufficient time to organise highway closures.

On the advice of South Tyneside Council, she agreed it would not be practical, but an alternative, using the nearby coastal path in South Shields, won the blessing of the land owner, the National Trust.

Hundreds of participants gathered at Trow Point Car Park, near Souter Lighthouse, on the sea front and either ran, walked, or, in one case, pushed a pram, over the two mile route, ending parallel with the Great North Run finish line.

Earlier, some family and friends of Sam gathered at the point of his collapse, in a residential area off Prince Edward Road, where a floral wreath has been attached to a lamppost.

 

After completing the last leg of the run, many of the participants then gathered in The New Sundial pub to toast Sam.

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The funds raised for MIND have shot up from the £350 original target of Sam to more than £27,000 in the wake of his death.

A separate fund, to help his daughter, has neared £6,000.

Family and friends of Sam now plan to stage a further event in his memory, an off-road run in his hometown of Newbiggin, on the Northumberland coast, on Sunday, September 29.