NEIGHBOURS will be running the London Marathon on a Ben Rhydding street in support of unpaid carers.

At least 20 households on St John’s Road will take part in the run on Sunday - as part of the national 2.6 challenge campaign launched by justgiving.

One of them, Claire Macina, is community fundraiser for Carers’ Resource a small Yorkshire Charity, which supports unpaid carers.

She said they had been forced to cancel a few events they had planned, and added: “I was going to do a family challenge but on my street, we have such a lovely community spirit I knew everyone would want to get involved. My neighbour Ruth came up with the idea.

“So far, we have 20 households signed up. We are looking for businesses to sponsor a mile at a suggested donation of £26.20. The Marathon will be started by local Great Britain Tri Athlete Brit Tate, who will come and run the first lap for us.” The first lap is sponsored by Danny Crossley who owns Danny’s Mobile Car Valeting. Andrew Dobson will be commentating on the run and going live on facebook during the event.

“The route will be up one side of the pavement and back down the other,” Claire said. “Each household will do as many laps of this circuit as they wish. We’ve worked out we need to complete 124 laps of the circuit to complete the 26.2 miles. Strict social distancing at all times. Everyone will be trimming their gardens up for the event.”

On her justgiving page Claire says: “For unpaid carers, the Coronavirus emergency has made an already difficult situation far, far worse.”

She adds:”Anyone could be a carer – a 15-year-old girl looking after a parent with an alcohol problem, a 40-year-old man caring for his partner who has terminal cancer, or an 80-year-old woman looking after her husband who has Alzheimer’s disease.

Visit: https://www.justgiving.com/team/stjohnsroad