THE son of a Whitchurch couple is running in the London Marathon to raise money for a charity which supports people with Lupus — a condition which affects his mother.
Lt Tom Day, 25, of the Royal Signal Corps — who is running with a friend — aims to complete the marathon on April 14 within an hour of the winners.
His mother, Caroline, said he was 'painfully fit' and did cross-country for the Army.
Over Easter, Tom — who is currently doing an in-service degree at Shrivenham and is due to pick up his Captain's pips in the autumn — trained on Dartmoor for the run.
He has already conquered the Brecon Beacon peaks to raise thosands of pounds for Lupus UK.
Lupus is a condition whereby the body's immune system goes into overdrive and starts to attack itself, and is is now considered more prevalent than multiple sclerosis. Around 40,000 people, predominantly female, in the UK have lupus and the main trigger appears to be varying hormonal activity.
Although there is no cure for the condition, it can now be treated. Further information is available from Lupus UK on 01708 731251.
Tom's wife Jane, whom he married 18 months ago, is currently serving in Bosnia, but the couple intend to run the New York Marathon on her return in the autumn in aid of cancer research — a disease which has affected her mother.