A CUMNOCK man is gearing up to run the London Marathon for a ninth consecutive year – just days before he is due to get married and become a grandad for the first time.

Life events don’t get much bigger than that, but less than a week before getting hitched to partner Sharon Crawford and welcoming the new addition to the family, Derek Montgomery will be running the 26.2 mile course down south to raise funds for Children with Cancer UK.

The long distance lorry driver, who has been working for a local food production company throughout the pandemic, is taking on the admirable feat next month for the cause which is close to his heart, having sadly lost his father and brother to cancer years ago.

The 51-year-old said: “I was planning to retire after five but I kept going. Nine is an uneven number so hopefully I’ll get to 10 and take it from there. I do a lot of running and I go to a gym in Auchinleck – being a driver for so many years, it’s hard to sit for hours on end so I need to maintain my fitness.

“I average in between 25 and 30 miles a week and aim for 1,200 miles a year. I’ve been doing that for 12 years, since I started running as a serious hobby. I had a gum infection which set me back a few weeks, but I got the all clear a couple of weeks ago to ramp up my training.

“This year has been a blur. This is our third wedding venue and fourth wedding date because of Covid.

“I’ve got the marathon on the third and the wedding on the ninth, and we picked up the pram for the baby the other day. I like to go above and beyond for the cancer charity, though.”

Cumnock Chronicle: Derek and his fiancé, Sharon, who he will be marrying soon after the race.Derek and his fiancé, Sharon, who he will be marrying soon after the race.

Big names have recently got behind Derek’s fundraising such as former Dutch international, Arthur Numan, who donated a limited edition gin bottle from Rangers 5 Star collection. Kit man Jimmy Bell also sent a signed top from the squad.

The ongoing support from local company W & E Lammie Groundworks has also been a big help. The family’s son, Jack, had leukaemia as a child but is thankfully now living a healthy life.

Derek added: “He has made a full recovery and is working on the farm now. I was looking for local sponsorship at the time so my friend put me in touch with them.

“It went hand in hand with the work I was doing and they were willing to support me. This is their ninth year of sponsorship.

“The loss of my brother and father to the disease was the reason behind the charity fundraising and still drives me on each year to try and raise money and awareness.

“It still hurts... but running gave me something to aim for.”

To support Derek, visit https://bit.ly/3tIxMNU