Marty was my oldest friend and sadly passed away in December. At his funeral, we all pledged to #bemoremarty, and this is my first step towards doing that. I'm doing the 10k at Run Cheltenham, my first run like this since 2014. Anything you can spare would go to a great cause - more details on all of that below. Oh, and he was instrumental in me getting the nickname Rodders so that's what that's about!

Welcome to our #TeamMarty page - where we all joining forces to raise money for an outstanding cause by remembering an outstanding human being.

As we all know - Marty was an amazing husband to Rachel, a much loved son, an outstanding brother, a cherished nephew and a brilliant cousin. He was an uncle, a son-in-law, a work colleague - and to everyone that knew him, simply the very best friend anyone could ever ask for. His running exploits were legendary. He ran his first Cheltenham Half Marathon in 2014 and went on to complete numerous parkruns and 10ks. These led to his proudest moments - the Berlin Marathon in 2019 and the Virtual London Marathon in 2021 around the streets of Cheltenham, the place he loved to live, work, play and run.

But at the heart of his running was his fundraising. His RunForRog exploits saw him complete the phenomenal challenge of running 1000 miles during 2021, often getting up at 6am on cold November and December mornings to get the job done. Marty always fundraised for Sue Ryder in memory of Roger and in his own words, this is why:

"During the last few weeks of his life Sue Ryder visited the house daily to help my Mum care for Dad, they even provided overnight carers for 3 nights to allow us to get some decent rest and be in a better state to look after him more. Even after he passed the team at Leckhampton Court have been amazing, checking in on Mum from time to time and offering support when needed."

So as we continue to build on Marty's amazing legacy of love, laughter and running we will be raising money for Sue Ryder, who support people through the most difficult times of their lives. As Marty said, they’re there when it matters and their doctors, nurses and carers give people the compassion and expert care they need to help them live the best life they possibly can. And where better place to do this than on the streets of the town he loved so much and in the race he enjoyed so many times?

Our team will be running either the Half Marathon or the 10k. It includes people that have run the distance before, people that have never entered a race before and people that are frankly terrified at the prospect - but we will be inspired by Marty. He ran with a smile, he encouraged his mates and he loved the post run de-brief with a pint.

We will do him proud this September. #BeMoreMarty x