A RUNNER is limbering up for his tenth Great North Run to help a charity which makes wigs for children with cancer.

Bricklayer Richard Thompson, 48, of Woodlands Park, Leigh, has raised more than £3,000 tackling the run from Newcastle to Southshields – a distance of 13.1 miles.

This year’s race takes place on September 7.

Richard will be raising cash for the Little Princess Trust, which supplies wigs to boys and girls who have lost their own hair through cancer Richard said: “I chose the charity because it’s small.

The bigger ones get such a large profile, I thought it would be a nice one to do.

“It costs £350 to just make one wig for a child so I thought I could do my bit my supporting them.”

Despite being a stalwart of the run for the best part of a decade, when Richard started, he said he never intended to do more than three.

He said: “I certainly didn’t think I would be doing it for ten years,” he said.

“I’m 48 and it gets harder every year, but running for a charity gives it an edge and does spur you on.”

To train for this year’s race, he has been running up to 14 miles a week for the last four months.

To support his fundraising effort, visit justgiving.

.com/richard-thompson16/ and donate.