A MAN was so touched by the care his father received at the Garden House Hospice in Letchworth GC that he has volunteered to run the London Marathon to raise funds. Stevenage man Chris Leigh, 42, has run the London Marathon twice before but this time he

A MAN was so touched by the care his father received at the Garden House Hospice in Letchworth GC that he has volunteered to run the London Marathon to raise funds.

Stevenage man Chris Leigh, 42, has run the London Marathon twice before but this time he has decided to run for the hospice which is also The Comet's chosen charity for this year.

He said: "Garden House Hospice is a charitable organisation really close to my heart.

"They were there to care and support my father during the final stages of his battle with cancer.

"I want to raise as much money as possible for them as a big thank you by completing my hat-trick of London Marathon runs."

Bill, Chris's father who died in 2002, was a keen runner who ran the London Marathon twice in the 1980s. Chris is hoping to emulate his father's time of three hours and 45 minutes.

Chris said: "The hospice has plans to expand its existing buildings and I want to raise as much money as possible to help make this happen, as well as providing a contribution to the much needed funds for its work."

Chris has been a member of the Fairlands Valley Spartans running club in Stevenage since May 2004 and they have helped provide him with structured training.

Hospice manager Jenny Lupton, said: "It was our privilege to have been able to help care for Chris's father.

"We are really grateful to him for offering to help us in this way and wish him luck for April 23.

"The money that he raises will help us to extend and improve the building for those patients who need hospice care in our area."

* If you would like to sponsor Chris visit www.justgiving.com/cleigh