 Jim Dewar, the driving force behind the Blaydon Race, has died. Two days after overseeing the 24th running of one of Tyneside's major sporting events, the 69-year-old was found dead at his Heddon-on-the-Wall home after apparently returning from a run. Dewar's enthusiasm and commitment rubbed off on everyone involved in the Blaydon Race since he resurrected it in 1981, just three years after becoming a member of Blaydon Harriers. In the early years, the race attracted around 250 entries but this year saw a record 4,000 take part with more than 600 other hopefuls being rejected. Newcastle-born Dewar was a racing cyclist in his early days but once he turned his attention to athletics it became, as well as his garden, a major part of his life. Before hanging up his spikes to devote his attentions to the Blaydon Race, Dewar, a doctor in clinical bio chemistry at Newcastle University and the RVI before retiring, was often seen in his orange-and-black-hooped Blaydon vest closer to the rear than the front of many local races - but his joy of athletics always shone through. Bob Houston, a close friend of Jim, had been out with him on Thursday night. He said: "We had a pint in Blaydon after tidying up the course along Scotswood Road and he was in fine spirits knowing the race had gone off without any problems. "We talked about ideas Jim had for the 25th Blaydon. "His passion for the Blaydon was beyond belief and I cannot believe he is no longer with us." Dewar leaves a wife Irene and three sons, Simon, Chris and Steve. | 
