Game birds ready for marathon (From Worcester News)

Game birds ready for marathon

12:40pm Thursday 11th March 2010 in

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A GAME Worcester city councillor will dress as an ostrich to run the London marathon this year.

Alex Kear will pull on the quirky costume to raise money for Action Medical Research, a charity which supports research into child health.

The organisation also helps prevent problems with pregnancy and childbirth, a cause close to the heart of Mr Kear after his wife first suffered a miscarriage in 2007 and then had a difficult birth with their son Max in 2008. Mr Kear, who represents Claines, said: “When my wife got pregnant we were over the moon.

Everything was going ticketyboo although we’d had a couple of scares then all of a sudden the miscarriage kicked in and it knocked us for six.

“Then when Max was born we had major problems.

“My wife was in labour for three days and it ended up in an emergency c-section.”

The couple, who live in Droitwich, also have three foster children Bailey, aged eight, Demi, aged seven and Kai, aged four.

This will be the fifth marathon that Mr Kear has run and his third in London. He and his friend Tim Hatfield, from Martin Hussingtree, expect to run the race in about six hours and will be collecting money in buckets along the way.

Mr Kear said: “I know funds are tight but please pledge a tenner on the website action.org.uk/sponsor/alexandtim.”