London Marathon: Man, 84, to run it for wife on anniversary

Chris Robson, 84, said he would be taking the race "slowly"

An 84-year-old man is taking part in the London Marathon in memory of his wife on what would have been their diamond wedding anniversary.

Chris and Charm Robson took part races around the world - including the 2012 London Marathon to celebrate their Golden Wedding Anniversary.

The couple, from St Bees, Cumbria, had planned to run it this year to mark the anniversary, but she died in 2019.

He will now run the race on Sunday with his grandson Fabio Simpson, 22.

The Robsons had regularly taken part in Lakeland trails and international marathons.

'Absolutely brilliant'

He said: "We went to France, Italy, Burma and Petra and had these holidays where we'd do a run.

"They were absolutely brilliant because you have something to do when you get there, a bit like drinkers with a running problem.

"The last run we did was in the Azores and Charm was enormously slower than I was and I thought, 'this is nonsense - there's something wrong' so we had it investigated and they found an unpleasant cancer."

The couple completed the London Marathon in 2012

Grandson Mr Simpson said Sunday would be a "very emotional day" but also a moment he would be proud of.

"It'll be my first marathon and probably the last my grandad will ever do as he's 84," he said.

"So it will be a real accomplishment for him to finish and I'm glad to be joining him."

Mr Robson added he would be taking it slowly, running at the back of the field.

He said he was just hoping he would not be overtaken by a pink camel carrying a ladder, which, he said, was what happened last time he took part in the marathon.