Ball rolls through charity run

A Spalding great-grandad has returned to running at the age of 71 to complete the Great North Run without leaving South Holland in memory of a relative.

Brian Ball was a keen runner before ill health meant he had to stop.

However he wanted do something to raise money for cousin Clive Baker who died earlier this year after contracting COVID-19 following a battle with blood cancer.

Brian signed up for the 13.1 mile Great North Run, but didn’t feel comfortable with the idea of running in vast crowds around Newcastle and Gateshead.

So instead he ran a slightly further route from his Livingstone Drive home to Surfleet and back.

He completed it in 2hrs 15mins and has so far raised £250 for Blood Cancer UK.

“That’s quite slow for him,” said wife Freda. “But he hasn’t run for ages after previously running three Great North Runs and the London Marathon.

“He didn’t know how to get back into running but our granddaughter was going to do it, so he said he’d join her, but then she didn’t get a place and he did.

“We’re all immensely proud of him.”

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