A 79-YEAR-OLD is hoping to get his daughter over the finishing line in an Ultra Marathon event this weekend.

Terry Colley will run alongside his daughter Sarah Williams, from Ambleside, in The Lap – a 47-mile Trail Race circumnavigating Windermere between May 10 – May 11.

Sarah raised money for SADS (Sudden Arrthymic Death Syndrome) last year in memory of a work colleague who went for a run and tragically never returned.

However, she was forced to pull out of the race around the country’s largest and most iconic lake with an injury on mile 31.

The Mail:

“I’m going to do it this year,” said a defiant Sarah.

“I’m really determined to complete it in memory of my colleague this time round.”

Despite his age and overcoming prostate cancer a decade ago, Terry, who recently moved to Storth with his wife in October, is no stranger to running in marathon events.

Last year, he won the MV70 (male veteran over 70 years) category by completing The Lap in just under 16 hours.

He said: “I’m hopeful of doing the same again this year but I’ve just got to do what I can do.

“I still enjoy fell running. I’ve done a few 20-odd milers in preparation for this event. I’m at the age now where I have no pressure.

“I’ve told Sarah it doesn’t matter if we don’t all finish but I’ve said I’ll stay with her to try and get her around the course.”

Terry’s granddaughter Rachel Ong, a 36-year-old marketing director, is also running ten laps of the Windermere Marathon course over ten days from May 9 to raise money for the Brathay Trust as part of their 10in10 challenge.

Rachel, who now resides in Marlow on the outskirts of London with her husband, grew up accompanying her grandad on fell runs around Windermere and regularly took part in the Patterdale Boundary Run.

The Mail:

She is raising money to support The Brathay Trust’s valuable work with vulnerable and disadvantaged children, and has just reached her £3,000 target.

“I’m looking forward to being back home in the Lake District,” Rachel said. "I’m looking forward to the challenge after having a baby a couple of years ago.

“There aren’t too many fells near London so it’ll be nice to run on ground that I’ve not trained on.

“It’s been hard to train in the Winter but I’ve managed to get out and do some running either early in the morning, late at night or by sneaking off on my lunch breaks.”

To support Rachel, visit: https://www.brathaychallenges.com/brathay-10in10-2024-team/rachel-ong/