Wigan runners train for the London marathon to support anti-poverty charity The Brick

Wendy Green, 53, and Chris Roberts, 49, are training for the London marathon, which takes place on Sunday, April 21.

They will both be raising money for The Brick, which supports people in the borough facing poverty or homelessness.

Funeral director Wendy, who lives in Wigan, started running just two years ago when she took part in the Couch to 5k – Beginners to Winners programme with Robin Park Runners.

She has since become a run leader with the group and is making good progress towards covering 26.2 miles.

She said: “My training is going well. I run about four or five miles twice a week with the club, I do a parkrun on Saturdays and so far I’ve managed 18 miles. I'm planning to get my first 20-mile run done in the next couple of weeks.

“I have chosen The Brick because it's a local charity and the work they do is amazing. Many individuals and families are struggling in this current cost-of-living crisis and if I can give someone a bed for the night, provide clean clothes for a child or send a food parcel to a family, then I'll be more than happy. I just want to give something back to my own community.”

Chris, who works as an assistant manager at AEC and is originally from Leigh, faces an even bigger challenge as he is also running the Berlin marathon in September.

He started running in 2019 to help his well-being during a challenging time for his family, and progressed from the Couch to 5k programme to doing the Ironman UK triathlon in Bolton and the Manchester marathon three times.

Chris said: “I am nine weeks into a 16-week training programme for the London marathon. My new personal goal is to complete six major marathons over the next 10 years, including Boston, New York, Chicago and Tokyo.

“I am part of the charity committee at my work AEC and every pound raised for The Brick, which is our charity of the year, will be matched by the directors of the company. I am looking to raise as much money as possible for The Brick to help them to continue to provide the essential services that they do for so many in our community.”

Keely Dalfen, CEO at The Brick, said: “We are delighted that Wendy and Chris have chosen The Brick to raise money for by taking on the London marathon. They are both putting in so much time and effort to train for the run and I would call on the community to support them in any way they can, from cheering them on during their training through to supporting them by donating to their campaign.

“Every penny they raise goes directly to the individuals and families in our community that we work with, so me and all the team at The Brick want to thank both Wendy and Chris for all they are doing.”

Sponsor Wendy at www.justgiving.com/page/wendy-green-1704839134246 and Chris at https://www.justgiving.com/page/aec-charity-committee-1710353078085.

To find out more about fund-raising for The Brick, email [email protected] or go to www.thebrick.org.uk.