Friends set for 'crazy' three-legged half-marathon

Jon Wolloff (left) said his friends have had a sweepstake on how many times he and Mat Revitt will fall over

Two friends have said they are embarking on a "crazy" challenge when they run a half-marathon three-legged in Leicester on Sunday.

Jon Wolloff and Mat Revitt, 53 and 52, respectively, are running in memory of their friend Geoff Pike, who died earlier this year from dementia, and are raising money for The National Brain Appeal.

The pair said it was "truly heartbreaking" to lose their friend progressively since his diagnosis in 2017, when he was 55, and that he was their "driving force".

Both have run a marathon previously, so Mr Wolloff said they were confident - provided they could "stay upright".

Mr Wolloff, from Belton in Rutland, said: "We were both down to run the Leicester Half this year and unfortunately we lost a friend in August, a very close friend to dementia, and we wanted to do something to raise funds for the National Brain Appeal, which was his charity."

As the pair, who grew up in Leicester, had already run a full marathon, they did not believe anyone would sponsor them for a half, which is where Mr Revitt came in.

"We were celebrating Geoff's life," Mr Revitt, from Uppingham in Rutland, said.

"So maybe a couple of pints came into play here, and we just had this crazy idea, let's run this three-legged."

Geoff Pike, pictured with wife Helen, was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2017, and died in August

Mr Wolloff created a training plan and "fuelling strategies".

When asked about his strategy, Mr Wolloff said: "Well, blasters, bandages, a lot of pain relief really.

"We hit the floor a couple of times, but not too bad, and we worked out now we need to slow down a bit.

"He's also bouncier than I am. We run at pretty much the same pace really. Our pace is fine, but he's a lot more off the ground than I am.

"If we can nail that in, we think we'll stay upright for most of the race."

Mr Revitt added that what gets the two through all of the aches is the thought of their friend Mr Pike "laughing at the pair of us".

The Run Leicester event takes place on Sunday, offering both half-marathon and 10km (6.2-mile) routes.

The half-marathon route starts at Victoria Park, before heading along Belgrave Gate to Watermead Park and Abbey Park, before returning to the starting point via New Walk.

Road closures will be in place during the morning of the event along the race route.