Surlingham based London Marathon runner Jon De Gray in training for this year's event. Photo by Simon Finlay

After completing the Great North Run in 2009, keen runner Jon de Gray decided to take a week off.

To send a link to this page to a friend, simply enter their email address below.

The message will include the name and email address you gave us when you signed up.

Email address

  Send link

To send a link to this page to a friend, you must be logged in.

Seven days away from pounding the pavements drifted into two years and the Surlingham man soon found himself in the running wilderness. But the 51-year-old is back on track after a letter arrived giving him the chance to realise a lifelong dream.

Mr de Gray is now in full training for the 26.2-mile London Marathon, taking place on Sunday, April 22, and hoping to raise £1,000 for Children with Cancer UK.

The self-employed carpenter and joiner said: “After I ran the Great North Run in 2009, I decided to have a week or so off and the break got a bit longer and longer. Short of doing the Sport Relief mile, a couple of years had gone without any running being done.

“It was not very easy to get back into running to begin with.

“I started nearly straight away when I found out in October I was doing the marathon and for one reason or another I couldn’t really get into it properly.

“But I did seriously start training before Christmas and it’s going really well.”

Mr de Gray, who is a member of the Norwich Road Runners, is following a 16-week training programme and said: “Barring any major mishaps I’m on target with training. The London Marathon is something I’ve always wanted to do for as long as I can remember.”

To sponsor Mr de Gray visit http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JondeGray

Are you running the London Marathon for charity? Call Evening News reporter Richard Wheeler on 01603 772474 or email richard.wheeler@archant.co.uk