Family's tribute to Snowdon racer

Mr Lear had competed in the race several times before

The family of a runner who died whilst competing in the Snowdon Race have paid tribute to him and those who tried to save him.

Mark Lear, 45, from Pentir near Bangor in Gwynedd collapsed close to Clogwyn Station, 300m (984ft) below the summit, while racing to the peak.

Mr Lear had completed the race on a number of previous occasions.

Almost 500 runners took part in the race from Llanberis to the top of Snowdon and back on Saturday.

In a joint tribute, Mr Lear's family said they wanted to extend their gratitude to everyone who had tried to help him after his collapse.

"We believe that there were two people in particular who stopped to help.

"We'd like to extend our gratitude to Gillian, whose surname we do not know, who was running behind him and stopped to stay with him, and also Wynford, who was running, but also happens to be a paramedic, and the doctor who arrived soon after."

The family said they "assumed it was a heart attack" which caused his collapse.

Mr Lear's family said he was enthusiastic about running ever since he first became interested in the sport when he was 17.

"Running was his escape, his way of relaxing and unwinding," they said.

As well as competing in the Snowdon race several times, Mr Lear had also taken part in triathlons, a parachute jump, and was also a keen cyclist - both at home and overseas.

He had undertaken a sponsored bike ride from John O'Groats to Lands End twice.

According to the family: "He never told people when he was doing it, he just did it quietly."

A former pupil at Ysgol Friars, Bangor, Mr Lear was a civil engineer with Mott McDonald in Colwyn Bay.

He leaves two brothers and four sisters, as well as his mother, whom he lived with at Pentir.

Mott MacDonald's regional director Richard Mason said: "Mott MacDonald would like to offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of our colleague, Mark Lear.

"Mark was a talented engineer who joined our civils and highways team in our Colwyn Bay office in April 2008, having previously worked for Gwynedd Council.

"He will be sorely missed by all his colleagues."