A north-east NHS worker and former Covid-19 sufferer is to take part in the London Marathon as part of a fundraising drive.
Allan Leslie, who has worked in nursing for over 36 years, has so far raised £3,000 for charity Home-Start to support local families with young children in Aberdeen who are struggling with bereavement, illness, disability or financial hardship.
Mr Leslie caught Covid-19 early last year and said it’s been a “challenge” getting back to full fitness and is “only now nearing full lung capacity”.
Home-Start Aberdeen will have two runners participating in the event in London and five who will run locally in Aberdeen as part of the new virtual format of the event.
Mr Leslie said he was focussing on “picking up” his speed ahead of the October event.
He added: “It’s tough right now with the icy conditions but I’m running about 25 miles per week and keeping myself mentally challenged.
“I’m looking forward to raising more money to help local families.
“We’ve all been affected by the pandemic but some people and families are really struggling to cope and we’re doing this to help them.”
Karen Smith, fundraising and events volunteer at Home-Start said her organisation is seeking more runners to take part in the virtual Aberdeen run.
She added: “Allan is an exceptional supporter of Home-Start Aberdeen. He’s a great runner, despite injuries and massive work commitments at NHS Grampian, and he’s a fantastic fundraiser.
“I’m so very pleased his place is confirmed for the VLM in London which hopefully will go ahead on October 3 this year.
“We are now seeking 6 more runners for our fantastic Home-Start Aberdeen VLM team.”