'Running marathon in memory of Dad is liberating'

Preparing to take on the London Marathon in memory of her dad has been liberating, a runner said.

Elly McGrath's father Paul died in 2012, when she was 14, after being cared for by Severn Hospice in Shropshire.

She has fond memories of watching the race on TV with the "armchair runner", as it allows her to remember happy moments with him, she said. She has raised £3,500 for the charity so far.

The former Market Drayton resident, who now lives in London, added: "The London Marathon was on his bucket list, and my goal is to run it for him."

She described her dad as "a determined person who always rose to a challenge".

"I'm sure that if he had lived and had the chance to run the London Marathon, he would have done," she said.

"That's the mindset I carry with me through marathon training. Doing this for my dad means the world to me and keeps me going on those long, rainy runs."

One of her last memories is of him running the Market Drayton 10km with no training, simply because someone else had suggested he could not.

"We look back at this time and realise he was already incredibly unwell, and that has always been an inspiration for me in taking on new challenges with absolute determination, as well as a lesson learnt on the importance of training," she said.

Now 28, she explained she found it difficult to tell people about her dad's death while growing up.

"Training for the marathon has given me a way to explain to people why I'm running, what it means to me and be really positive about it. It's been very liberating," she said.

She said she would be "forever grateful" for Severn Hospice's care, where staff looked after Paul for five weeks.

She added she was already planning her post-race celebrations on 26 April.

"I have given up alcohol while I've been training, so I'm really looking forward to that once I finish the race," she said.

Severn Hospice community fundraiser Phil Haigh described her and others taking on the marathon on the charity's behalf as "incredible".

"Each year they absolutely blow us away with their sheer determination to get to the starting line," he said.

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