D-Day veteran, 102, to captain JLR marathon team

Former veterans who work for Jaguar Land Rover will be running the London Marathon for the Royal British Legion

Four Jaguar Land Rover employees, who are former members of the armed forces, will be supported by a 102-year-old D-Day veteran when they run the London Marathon.

Jack Mortimer will be the team's honorary captain when they take to the starting line in London next April to raise £12,000 for the Royal British Legion.

As well as motivating the runners, there are plans to assist Mr Mortimer along part of the 26.2-mile route.

"It's not about setting a personal best; it's not about the physical feat for the four of us that are doing it. It's about creating a bucket list opportunity for a 102-year-old veteran who landed on Sword Beach on D-Day," said Stephen Lees, who is one of the runners.

Mr Lees and his three colleagues are part of JLR's Armed Forces Community Network and all work at the Gaydon site in Warwickshire.

"I served 20-odd years as an infantry officer, and Steven Chessell served in the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers. Deano Lote served in the Royal Navy, and we've got Mike Warrener, who served in the RAF," he said.

"Two of us hadn't really done any physical training since we'd left the armed forces over a decade ago, so we've been going on the couch to 5k and then the 5k to 10k and now we're going from 10k to sort of a half-marathon before Christmas."

Some of the runners with D-Day veteran Jack Mortimer, who supported the Royal British Legion with his late wife, Flo.

Mr Mortimer, who lives in Leeds, was a corporal with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps during World War Two and was part of the Allied forces that landed on Sword Beach on D-Day on 6 June 1944.

When he returned home from the war, Jack's sweetheart, Flo, made her first donation to the RBL in November 1945. She continued to do so every year throughout their 78-year marriage until her death a few days before Jack's 100th birthday.

Mr Lees said this was one of the reasons why they chose to run the London Marathon for the RBL and wanted Jack to be a part of that.

"Jack lives on his own in a flat. He's fiercely independent, but his wife of 78 years always contributed to the Royal British Legion, which is why we're doing this for the RBL.

"She died four days before his 100th birthday a few years ago. So anything we can do to create those bucket list opportunities for this absolute legend, that to us is the really important piece. That's far more value than completing a marathon ourselves."