A MOTHER-of-two is hoping to raise £10,000 in memory of her late husband.

Sarah Thompson is running the London Marathon on Sunday, April 26, in aid of Leukemia Research after husband Andrew, 53, died from the disease two years ago.

Mrs Thompson and children Sandy, 12, and Saskia, 10, are also organising a fun run and auction in their home village of Aynho, near Banbury, next month.

Mr Thompson was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2006 and died in October the following year.

Mrs Thompson said: “The children miss their daddy.

“We want to help ensure other children don’t suffer a similar loss. We want to save the life of someone else’s daddy – it would be a fitting tribute to Andrew.”

The fun run on Sunday, May 17 will have three courses, including a children’s track, and it will cost runners £1 to take part.

In addition, a fundraising dinner and auction will take place at Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons restaurant, in Great Milton, on Saturday, May 30.

Anyone who wants to donate an auction lot or attend the event should email hwinter@lrf.org.uk or call 0207 269 9019. To sponsor Mrs Thompson, go to justgiving.com/sarahthompson11

Nurse Samantha Varney, who works at the Churchill Hospital, in Oxford, decided to take her running more seriously after watching boyfriend Owen Suter win lots of sports trophies.

She is aiming to collect a medal of her own by completing the London Marathon.

The 22-year-old, who began running seriously 18 months ago, has recently completed half marathons at Milton Keynes and Silverstone. She said: “I watch the marathon on TV every year and really want to have a go and have something to show for all my training.”

Miss Varney, of Somerton, near Bicester, hopes to raise £1,500 for Get Kids Going, which helps disabled people up to the age of 26 take part in sport.

So far, family and friends have helped her raise £1,290.

To sponsor Miss Varney, visit justgiving.com/samanthavarneymarathon

A hockey player has set herself the target of raising £1,700 for a charity which helps her mother.

Amy Jackson, from Milton, near Banbury, will run the marathon in aid of the Parkinson’s Disease Society. Her mother was diagnosed with the condition 15 years ago.

As part of her fundraising efforts, the 35-year-old organised a hockey tournament at Bloxham School in February.

Teams from Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire and Buckinghamshire competed and helped to raise £715.

Miss Jackson and her sister Esther plan to make the tournament an annual fundraising event for the charity.

To sponsor Miss Jackson, see justgiving.com/amesmate

CHARLOTTE Newton is running the marathon to raise money for research into prostate cancer, which took the lives of her grandfather Richard Kennedy and his brother Henry.

Miss Newton, 23, from Middleton Cheney, said: “I have done a number of 5k, 10k and half marathons, but never a full marathon.

“I have been really keen to do something in memory of my grandad – the London Marathon seemed the perfect thing to do.”

She is aiming to raise £2,000.

To support her, visit justgiving.com/charlottesbigrun

Twenty-two-year-old market researcher Ed White is running to raise money for the Micro and Anophthalmic Children’s Society, which helps children who are born with either small, poorly formed eyes, or without eyes.

He said: “I want to break four hours – that’s my target.”

To sponsor Mr White, go to bmycharity.com/V2/edandmacs

Barton postman Sean Brown will be tackling his fourth marathon on April 26 – but has a point to prove.

The 37-year-old is running to raise funds for Oxford’s Sobell House Hospice.

He said: “I had to pull out of last year’s event due to illness, so I have some unfinished business with the London Marathon.”

Mr Brown, of Boswell Road, uses his postal round as part of his all-year training.

Last year, he still raised more than £600 for Sobell House, but this year he is aiming to raise £1,000 and Royal Mail, family, friends and colleagues have already pledged £500.

To sponsor him, go to justgiving.com/seanbrown

Solicitor Jacob Rickett is aiming to complete four-and-a-half marathons this year as part of a 10-race challenge to raise funds for Arthritis Care.

The 27-year-old, of Hedgemead Avenue, Abingdon, began running for the charity in November 2007 when he was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis – a form of inflammatory arthritis, which affects the lower back.

Mr Rickett, said: “Running is something I use to help manage my condition. It makes me feel that I’m in control – not the arthritis.

So far, he has raised £990 of his £2,000 target.

To sponsor him, see justgiving.com/jacobrickett1 tshepherd@oxfordmail.co.uk