A MARATHON runner is taking on an epic challenge to raise money for St Richard’s Hospice after they helped him and his girlfriend, deal with her terminal cancer.

Adrian Norsworthy is planning to run 13 marathons in 2015, all over the UK, in a bid to raise as much money as possible in memory of his girlfriend Sarah Veall.

Sarah worked as a reporter for the Redditch Advertiser earlier in her career before moving on to the Worcester News. She was diagnosed with spinal cancer and she died in June of this year, aged 39.

Mr Norsworthy said: “She had it as a teenager and it came back. She was in a wheelchair before I met her, but she was always so positive about it, she didn’t let it hold her back, she went through so much.

“I wanted to raise something for the hospice because they’d looked after Sarah. They gave Sarah counselling and that kind of thing when she was diagnosed with cancer. They were superb to Sarah in the counselling, and after she passed away they offered me counselling as well.

“Because I’d tried a couple of marathons I thought I’d do the 13. Some of the courses are described as flat and some as undulating or off road, but I’m very much looking forward to all of them.”

Mr Norsworthy is beginning his year with a marathon on the Isle of Anglesey in January, for which he has to bring his own backpack, packed with a whistle, waterproofs and a mobile phone, since the course will take him off-road . After that he already has marathons lined up for February in the New Forest, for March in Telford, where he will be running round and round a 400m athletics track, for April in both Worcester and Llanelli, for May in Milton Keynes and for June in Liverpool. Entries are yet to open for the runs later in the year.

He added: “Apart from January when Anglesey was the only one I could find, I was quite surprised. There are a lot in May and June. I’m looking forward to the challenge. It’s not easy, especially now its dark, but most weekends I do 20-22 miles. I may do more than 13, we’ll see how the second half of the year goes. I like the sound of 15 in 2015.

“Some probably think I’m slightly barmy, but everyone’s being very supportive. I think she’d be very proud she’d think I was mad, but she’d be really supportive. Her parents are really supportive.”

Mr Norsworthy originally set a fundraising target of £2,000, but he’s had such a fantastic response that now he’s hoping to get more for the hospice.

To add to the fundraising visit justgiving.com/Sarah-Veall-Forget-Me-Not-Fund/.