WILTSHIRE coroner David Masters found that super-fit sportsman Garry Giles, who collapsed during a ten mile run last June, died from natural causes.

Paul Tranter, acting coroner's officer for Salisbury, said Mr Masters' verdict was that Mr Giles, 29, of High Street, Lockeridge, died from natural causes.

A post mortem examination failed to find any cause for his death and pathologists believed it was due to sudden death syndrome, similar to cot death, said Garry's mother, Di Giles, who attended the inquest with his father, David.

Mr Giles collapsed and died while taking part in a charity run at Salisbury on June 13.

He was about 400 yards from the finishing line at the city fire station when he fell.

Although paramedics were with him within minutes they were unable to revive him and he was dead on arrival at Salisbury General Hospital.

Mrs Giles said the family had been told that, despite numerous tests, pathologists had been unable to find why her younger son's heart had suddenly stopped.

She said: "They did not find anything so they had to put it down as a sudden death due to natural causes."

Mrs Giles said the coroner apologised because it had taken so long to resume the inquest because of tests on her son's heart tissue to see if the cause of death could be established.

Mr Giles was super-fit, ran regularly, played soccer for Marlborough Town FC and was about to resume playing for Mildenhall Cricket Club.

He was the younger son of Mr and Mrs Giles but because brother John was just one year older they were often regarded as twins.

Garry Giles and his brother both bought homes in Calne about a year before his death, but still spent most weekends back home in Lockeridge with their parents and sister, Mandy.

John and a friend, Matt Parson, had travelled to Salisbury to take part in the ten-mile run with Garry but were some way back in the field.

John said they had expected to see Garry waiting for them at the finish line but instead were met by stewards who told them he had collapsed as he headed for the finish line.

Mr and Mrs Giles said Garry had always been a keen sportsman who never smoked and drank little.

Following his death his mother said: "His teacher at Lockeridge School used to say he was only happy when he had a ball in his hand."

His father said: "Sport was most of his life, he lived for it."

Many young sports men and women in the Marlborough area mourned the death of Garry.

In September colleagues at the Mildenhall Cricket Club held a memorial match, to which his family were invited.

During the afternoon a maple tree was planted at the Mildenhall sports ground in memory of the young sportsman.

There will be a memorial six-a-side cricket match played annually between the three clubs Garry Giles played for, Mildenhall Cricket Club, Marlborough Town FC and the Lamb pub soccer team.