Running paramedic starts marathon fund-raiser

STAFFORD¹S "running paramedic" has kicked off his Stafford Half-Marathon mission - 25 days before the big race.

Ray EdensorRay Edensor is running the half-marathon route every day for 25 days in the run-up to the March 15 race, which is celebrating its silver anniversary.

And if that wasn¹t challenging enough he has chosen to run in a decontamination suit for each run to raise more awareness of a charitable cause.

The Castlefields resident ran his first day¹s half-marathon on Thursday, setting off from Market Square shortly before 11am. He was sent on his way by well-wishers, including families who have been supported by Dreams Come True - the charity for which he raised £250,000 over a five-year period.

Mr Edensor stopped running marathons for charity in 2006 but said he had come out of retirement to fulfil a promise to raise funds for the County Air Ambulance and National Alliance of Childhood Cancer Parents Organisation (Naccpo). He will also be fund-raising once more for Dreams Come True.

"I¹m hoping to raise a lot of money for them," he said. "I decided to run in a decontamination suit because it is something different.

"It will be a mental challenge and I will lose about two stone running in the suit. I will still be doing my 12-hour shifts as a paramedic during the half-marathon period.

"With the credit crunch you have to do something stupid to raise money - I can¹t just run in an ambulance uniform."