A charity vet from Leicester is getting ready for the Manchester Marathon, marking his 22nd marathon challenge.

Chris Sherwood (53) will be taking on the 26.2 mile course in aid of two charities - vet charity PDSA, and MOVE, a local charity which supports children and young people with cancer.

Chris said: “This year's run will require a lot of willpower and determination! I've managed most of my long runs at the weekend but with a busy work schedule training often takes a back-seat.

“Every year I raise funds for PDSA, but this year I’m also supporting a local cancer charity, MOVE. My wife Jane is undergoing treatment for breast cancer and has become an ambassador for ‘5k your way’ which encourages those affected by cancer patients to take part in a Parkrun on the last Saturday of the month and chat over a well-earned cup of tea afterwards. More and more studies show that doing some exercise can help speed recovery and reduce the risk of cancer recurrence, and can help boost your mood during a difficult time.”

This year will be Chris’s first Manchester marathon, breaking his nine-year London marathon streak, and he will be joined by his daughter.

“As I get older the training is becoming tougher and willpower to get up and out before work is harder. I work as a vet surgeon at the PDSA Pet Hospital in Leicester, which can be extremely busy, so juggling work alongside training can be tough.”

Chris has been working at Leicester’s PDSA Pet Hospital for 22 years, where the team treat over 70,000 pets every single year. On an average day, the PDSA team see 119 pets. 

Amy Wareing-Reid, Fundraising Manager at PDSA, said: “Chris’s inspiring marathon effort means many pets will receive the vital vet care they need and we’re enormously grateful to have his support once again this year for his twenty-second marathon! We’ll be cheering Chris and the rest of Team PDSA’s runners along the course and I hope local animal lovers will support him too.”

Between now and the Manchester marathon day – on 7 April – Chris will be pounding the streets of Leicester as he continues his intense training to get through those 26.2 miles.

For more information about fundraising for PDSA visit: www.pdsa.org.uk/run