Simon Kirkby of oven cleaning franchise Ovenu Wirral South is preparing to compete in his 14th half marathon which is set to be a very special affair as he will be joined by his two daughters.
The 57-year-old, who has operated the business since 2006, is raising funds for Clatterbridge Cancer Charity, while Charlotte, 24, and Lucy, 20, are running in their first ever half marathon in support of The British Heart Foundation.
They will tackle the Chester Half Marathon, one of the UK’s most established and most highly regarded half marathons, on Sunday 19th May.
The course record stands at 1:02:21 for men and 1:14:32 for women and while they don’t expect to threaten those times, they do hope to raise a significant amount for their respective good causes.
Charlotte and Lucy only took up running In January and as part of their training to prepare for the half marathon, the trio successfully completed the Chester 10k in March.
Simon, who lives near Ellesmere Port, said: “I’m raising funds for Clatterbridge Cancer Charity as they have been truly amazing in their support of my close friend, Simon Williams. He’s really been through the mill but received amazing care from the charity.”
Charlotte, who together with Lucy is running in memory of nan and grandad Betty and Bryan Wooding, who both suffered from heart disease, added: “Dad’s a keen runner and we have watched him compete over many years. This will be his 14th half marathon and our first, so it’s a really special day for the family.
“It will definitely be interesting to see where we all finish but to be honest, we are just looking forward to being part of this fantastic event.”