A RUNCORN man is running the Paris Marathon today in memory of his grandad.

Draught designer Lee Clark, aged 26, has already raised £1,100 for the Stroke Association.

His granddad John, aged 66, from Murdishaw, died last October.

Lee, of Sandymoor, said: “My granddad had a number of strokes that hugely affected the last three years of his and my family’s lives.

“Seeing the devastation stroke can cause motivated me to run the marathon for the Stroke Association.

“The support it gives survivors and their families is fantastic and I want to help the charity to be there for everyone affected by stroke.”

Lee, who has a wife, Natalie, and two-year-old daughter, Daisy, said: “I’m excited more than anything. After 18 weeks’ training, I just want to get there. I hope I can do it in four hours.”

Lee held raffles and FIFA competitions to raise funds.

Louise Kay, community and events fundraising manager at the Stroke Association, said: “There are around 152,000 strokes a year in the UK. That’s one every three and a half minutes.

“It’s vital that people like Lee are raising funds to ensure we can be there for even more families affected by stroke.

“We’ll be cheering Lee on as he makes his way through Paris.”

To sponsor Lee visit justgiving.com/leeanddean