MOTHER of two Tracie McGrory was remembered with flowers when fellow runners gathered on Saturday morning at Lydiard Park.

It was just a week ago that she collapsed during Swindon Parkrun and later died in hospital.

On Saturday morning people held a minute’s silence before setting off around the course carrying flowers to lay at the finish.

Her husband Brian was at the start with their daughters to see the commemoration.

So many people turned up to take park that cars were parked all the way down the drive and on the verge ion Hook Street.

Run director Emma Sperring told runners, who had come from as far afield as the Forest of Dean: “It was her love of running that we all have in common and it is that love that brings us all together today.”

Tracie, 47, who worked as a bereavement services manager for the Blue Cross pet charity, had only started running the summer before and had gone to the park run with a friend from work. She had done 10 of them and had fallen in love with the sport.

She had also completed the Reindeer Run just before Christmas and was proud of the fact she had lost more than two stone since the summer.

“She tried to persuade her best friend to come to park run. The friend came last Saturday for the first time.”

Emma told the runners the pair had been laughing and joking in the car on the way to Lydiard, but Tracie collapsed when she was only 400 metres into the run.

One of the pacers, fellow runners and park wardens rushed to help and paramedics were called, but their efforts and those of the medics at the Great Western Hospital were to no avail.

“The best way we can show support to Brian, Amber and Keira is to enjoy the run. Tracie would not want us to be sad.”

On his wife’s Facebook page Brian said thanks for the huge amount of support that had been shown to his family in the wake of her death.

“We are completely overwhelmed, you all will never know how it has helped us through this tough time,” he said.