Parkrun stalwart's coffin arrives by tandem as hundreds gather for celebration of life

• Watch ITV News Anglia's Natalie Gray report from the service for Ben Jacobs

Hundreds of runners and cyclists turned out to pay tribute to a Parkrun director killed in a crash on his bike.

Ben Jacobs, 47, from Rushmere St Andrew near Ipswich, was cycling with friends when he suffered fatal injuries in the crash in May, and died two days later.

Hundreds of people turned out to pay their respects to the father-of-three, who was a keen runner and triathlete.

Most were dressed in running gear and applauded as the coffin arrived at Venue 16 in Ipswich on a cycle tandem, for a celebration of his life.

Mr Jacob's son Tom was at the back of the tandem, wearing a red Felixstowe Road Runners shirt and black shorts.

The coffin was carried into the service by six men also wearing shirts from the same running club.

Fellow road runner Adele Chaplin, who was taking the service, said it was a sad day and a challenging one as she was a close friend of Mr Jacobs'.

"It's been really important to come together today and spend time with each other and just celebrate the character that he was," she said.

"He was such a wonderful individual and every runner in Ipswich, Suffolk and whole of East Anglia knew Ben and will remember him very fondly."

Mr Jacobs was killed in a collision just off the A137 in Bentley in Suffolk on 17 May, and died two days later.

The next day hundreds of runners turned out at Ipswich Parkrun to pay tribute.

Ipswich Parkrun said Mr Jacobs was a valued member of their team who had volunteered at 211 events over nine years.

He had completed 324 Parkruns and achieved a personal best of 17.46 at Kesgrave Parkrun on 11 August 2018.

Friends and family said they wanted his farewell to be celebratory send off for a much-loved community champion.

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