A man who started �running to lose weight has set himself a challenge of completing over 70 miles of races this year and raising �10,000 for Saint Francis �Hospice in memory of his mother-in-law.

Account manager Kevin Childs, from Hornchurch, has shed over a quarter of his body weight after weighing nearly 19 stone two years ago.

Kevin said: “I’ve lost six stone and running has changed my changed my life.

“I now have energy to play with my children when we go to the park instead of just sitting down.”

Marathon

He completed the London Marathon and Santathon earlier this year and has his sights on more.

The next races will be all within 29 days of each other and are the Southend 10k, the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon and the Dublin Marathon in October.

Kevin said: “I have been �going to the marathon for years, and I’d always walked away and said to my kids ‘I want to do that next year’ but I never lost the weight. So even simply standing at the start of the London Marathon this year was amazing.”

The father-of-two has a personal connection with the charity after his mother-in-law Susan received care at the home before she lost her 25-year battle with cancer in June last year.

Kevin and his family are extremely grateful for the care Susan received and this is a way to say thank you.

He said: “The nurses and medical team never let you feel you were on your own and nothing was a problem, all we had to do was ask.”

Kevin has already raised over �6,000 and is now hoping to meet his target.

“I will carry on running now, and whatever race I do, I’ll do it in a hospice top. I love running and I think to myself, ‘why didn’t I do this years ago?’” To sponsor Kevin visit www.justgiving.com/Kev-Childs.