A brother and sister from Worcestershire have signed up to run a half marathon later this year to raise money for a hospice which cared for their father.
Jamie and Lisa Stallwood will run the 13.1miles for St Richard’s Hospice, aiming to raise £700 for its care.
Their father, David, died at the hospice in July 2015 of lung cancer, aged just 52 years old.
The half marathon – which takes place in Worcester on Sunday 16 September in conjunction with the city’s 10k run – will be the couple’s first.
Lisa, aged 29, said: “Neither of us have ever ran a half marathon before so it is a pretty daunting task! Jamie has been neglecting his training of late due to the importance of watching the recent World Cup but now we are encouraging each other to do more. The hot weather has made it so much harder to train; we’ve been trying to find the coolest parts of the day but 5am starts are really not fun!”
Both Jamie and Lisa are well versed at fundraising for the hospice; they first raised funds a few weeks after their father’s death, resulting in a £1,500 donation to the charity. In 2017 Jamie ran the Worcester 10k and raised £425.
Jamie, aged 31, who lives in St John’s with his wife Emma, said: “We’re really grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this incredible hospice in honour of our dad. We miss him every day and even though the race will be extremely hard, it’ll be worth every step to honour his memory and help others at St Richard’s.”
Lisa, who lives in Droitwich, concluded : “Dad was an extremely warm and generous man who touched the lives of everyone he met with his friendship and love. He had nothing but praise for those who looked after him at the hospice; everyone was so kind and friendly and showed a great deal of respect when caring for him.
If you would like to support Jamie and Lisa please visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jamie-and-lisa-half.
Alison Parkes, Fundraiser at St Richard’s Hospice said: “We are so grateful for the hard work and dedication from people like Jamie and Lisa. Taking part in such events is often a personal challenge as well so we wish them all the best with their training and on the day. Thank you both!”
Spaces are still available for both the half marathon route and the 10k on Sunday 16 September and include a 10 per cent off the registration fee and get a free runners t-shirt or vest. For discount codes and further information please visit www.strichards.org.uk/eve…/worcester-city-10k-half-marathon/.