Phil Lewis was one of the men who collapsed and died

Ambulances took up to 45 minutes to reach the men, who collapsed during the Tyneside race in September 2005.

They were aged between 28 and 52 and were from County Durham, Leeds, York and Kent.

The inquests at Gateshead Civic Centre are expected to last five days, with race organisers due to give evidence.

Deputy head teacher Phil Lewis, 52, from Chester-le-Street, David Mahaffey, 43, of York, and company directors Reuben Wilson, 28, from Leeds, and Kieran Patching, 34, from Walderslade, near Chatham in Kent, collapsed on 18 September.

'A dangerous area'

They were among 38,000 people taking part in the 25th annual half marathon.

All four had passed the eight mile (12.9 km) mark and one man was only two miles (3.2 km) from the finishing line.

Mr Wilson was the youngest to die on the unusually warm September day.

Dr Russell Curtis, a local GP who was a spectator, said he attempted to revive Mr Wilson and eventually injected adrenaline into his heart but his efforts were hampered due to a lack of sophisticated equipment.

The doctor told Gateshead and South Tyneside Coroner Terrence Carney, who is sitting without a jury, that an ambulance took 45 minutes to arrive.

Dr Curtis said Mr Wilson collapsed in quite a "dangerous area" after an incline near the end of the race.

He said: "People are exhausted. There were a number of cardiac arrests at the time and we need paramedics stationed in that area.

'No communication'

"I appreciate it was a busy day, there were a lot of ill people, but this is a big event."

Mr Mahaffey's widow, Amanda, said she waited for her husband at the finishing line, but it was only after asking at a medical tent that she found out he had collapsed.

Mr Patching's running mate Graham Taylor said he had to ask his wife to contact Julie Patching to tell her that her husband had died.

Mrs Patching said: "I have never had communication with the police. Why did Graham have the trauma of trying to find someone to tell me?"