ROAD runners all over Comet country are in training for the London Marathon. Steve Taplin, from Ivel Way, Baldock, will be running for CHILDREN with LEUKAEMIA. He said: I picked the charity at random about eight years ago and now I m glad I did. A lad

ROAD runners all over Comet country are in training for the London Marathon.

Steve Taplin, from Ivel Way, Baldock, will be running for CHILDREN with LEUKAEMIA. He said: "I picked the charity at random about eight years ago and now I'm glad I did.

"A lad in Baldock that was the born on the same day as my son actually contracted leukaemia and died.

"They live a couple of streets away and I'm doing it for them."

The 46-year-old is no stranger to the sport, this being his fifth marathon.

He said: ""I did Paris last year and got a qualifying time and a place for London.

"I've been running for about 20 years but I got bored of training on my own so I joined the local club, North Herts Road Runners, and improved dramatically. I'm training four times a week at the moment."

Marathon man Steve, who has been with the Road Runners for three years, is competing in more than one marathon this year already - Rome on March 18 and at London on April 24. He added: "I thought I'd do two in two months."

The benefits officer for North Herts District Council will be wearing a CHILDREN with LEUKAEMIA vest and being cheered on by the charity's supporters.

Steve hopes to raise £2,000 and will be running as part of the Mr Men and Little Miss team.

But he won't be one of those wearing a costume, explaining: "I want to get around quickly - wearing that it would take about six hours!"

Anyone wishing to sponsor Steve for his run can log on to www.bmycharity.com/stevetaplin

* KEEN runner Andrew Patterson will be raising money for Letchworth GC's MS Trust when he embarks on his second marathon in April this year.

Andrew, 25, from Dryden Crescent, Stevenage, first took up running at the start of 2006 and completed last year's marathon in 3hrs 14mins.

He is hoping to beat that time this year and has been training with Fairlands Valley Spartans, competing in a 10-mile run in St Albans and the Watford half marathon earlier this month.

Andrew, who is a program engineer for Hertfordshire County Council, chose to raise money for the MS Trust as friends of his family have been affected by MS.

He is also keen for a local company to sponsor him, in return for having its logo on his training gear and race day clothing.

He said: "Running four days a week around Stevenage, I would be an excellent advertisement for any company."

For more information, visit Andrew's website at http://www.justgiving.com/drewrunning

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