A FAMILY from Appleton has completed the Great North Run in a bid to raise £2,000 for the MS Society.

Paul McCraith, aged 51, from Teddington Close, and his two children Alex, aged 21, and Katie, aged 18, completed the 13.1 mile race on Sunday.

Paul, a finance manager, said: “I just wanted to give something back to the community.

“I don’t quite know how I got roped into this as the only thing I’ve ever run for prior to this was a bus.”

Paul’s mother-in-law Mary, who originates from Scotland, has suffered from MS for nearly 50 years and has coped admirably during that time.

She is very independent, living on her own for the past 20 years after her husband died.

Paul said: “She patrols her bungalow in a variety of electric wheelchairs, and is able to give her daily carers a good run for their money when they call in.”

Alex, whose idea it was to do the Great North Run, said: “We wanted to raise awareness of MS because it’s not something you hear people talking about that much.

“None of us had done anything like that before.”

The MS Society is the UK’s largest charity dedicated to supporting everyone whose life is touched by multiple sclerosis, providing respite care, specialist nurses and funding more than 80 vital MS research projects in the UK.

The funds raised from the McCraith’s run will go towards supporting the 100,000 people and their carers across the UK living with MS.

* For more information visit the website mssociety.org.uk.

Pictured: Paul McCraith from Teddington Close, and his two children Alex and Katie - running and resting.

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