Two friends from Tewkesbury Running Club are taking on their own half-marathon challenge this year.

Cam Pay and Pete Davies, who have a combined age of 121 years, are looking to run 12 half-marathons in 12 months, with the aim of running one in every month.

And they are almost halfway to reaching their target because they’ve just ticked off half-marathon number five and are looking forward to running the Westonbirt Half Marathon on Sunday 23^rd June.

And they’re running for a very good cause, too, because they’re supporting Leeds Hospitals Charity, a charity that is bidding to raise £5 million to build the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease.

Sports fans will know that 42-year-old Burrow, a rugby league great for Leeds Rhinos, England and Great Britain, revealed in December 2019 that he had been diagnosed with MND.

Motor neurone disease is a condition that affects the brains and nerves, causing weaknesses that get worse over time.

Former Scotland second row Doddie Weir, who died at the age of 52 in November 2022, was diagnosed with the condition in 2016, and ex-Gloucester second row Ed Slater was forced to retire from the game in July 2022 after being diagnosed with the same condition.

“It’s such an awful illness,” said 57-year-old Pay. “We were inspired to do something to support the cause by Kevin Sinfield, Rob Burrow’s former team-mate and very good friend.”

Sinfield, who is 43, ran seven ultra-marathons in seven days across seven cities at the end of last year, a truly remarkable effort, and Pay and Davies are determined to play their part too, inspired by the slogan, ‘Run for a mate, with a mate’.

“I’ve never run more than three half-marathons in a year before,” admitted Pay, who took up running some 20 years ago. “I normally do one or two a year.”

Davies and Pay have been good friends since meeting at Tewkesbury Running Club around 10 years ago.

“Pete was a good runner back in the day,” said Pay. “He gave it up for 30 years before joining Tewkesbury.”

The two are big rugby unions fans – they enjoy going to Kingsholm to watch Gloucester – and, although it’s obviously hard work, they’re enjoying their half-marathon challenge.

“The body is holding up well although the calves are a bit grumbly,” said Pay.

And for both Pay and Davies, it’s not about how fast they can run 13.1 miles, it’s all about going the distance.

“It’s not the finishing time, it’s the finishing line,” added Pay.

Anyone who would like to support Pay and Davies should visit Cam and Pete's fundraiser for Leeds Hospitals Charity justgiving.com