LLYR Tobias is pounding the hills and lanes around Llandysul in preparation for taking part in next weekend’s London Marathon to raise funds for Children with Cancer UK.

First-time marathon runner Llyr, aged 26 and from Croeslan, said: “I’ve always dreamt of running in the London Marathon, but it was the opportunity to use my run to try to help children with cancer that spurred me on to sign up.

“Training has been going really well and I am up to 20 miles since the start of the year and I’ve managed pretty well to stick to my regime. I know running a marathon will be a really tough test both physically and mentally, but compared to what children undergoing cancer treatment endure, it just can’t compare.”

Llyr, who works as a linesman for Western Power Distribution, has experience of running half marathons before and has set his sights on completing the 26.2-mile course in around four and a half hours.

He will be one of 1,400 fundraisers running through the streets of the capital in aid of Children with Cancer UK – the largest number of runners for any charity.

So why has Llyr chosen to fundraise for Children with Cancer UK?

He said: “I believe that every child deserves a chance in life. Through this amazing charity, every child that is diagnosed with cancer have every chance of survival and to live a joyful life.

“I was talking to a man who had cancer in his 60s and while undergoing treatment he said he saw the young kids coming in and it was quite traumatic. I want to support the charity to give those children the best chance of survival.

“I’ve set myself a fundraising target of £2,000, which will go to vital research to discover new and better treatments for childhood cancers.”

To sponsor Llyr, go to www.justgiving.com/llyr-tobias