Martin set to pound streets of London for charity (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Martin set to pound streets of London for charity

CIRENCESTER Golf Club captain Martin Taylor is set to pound the streets of London next month for only the second occasion - but his efforts will be on behalf of a very good cause.

This time, the 61-year-old is taking up this big challenge as a Heart Runner in the 25th Flora London Marathon, helping to raise vital funds for the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

Martin, who will be donning his official Heart Runners vest to tackle the rigours of a 26-mile journey on foot on Sunday, April 17, is hoping to raise as much money as possible to help the charity in its fight against heart and circulatory disease - the UK's biggest killer.

Martin says. "I decided to take part because I had a heart by-pass operation in 1999 and was so impressed by the surgeons and nurses involved.

"I feel they deserve all the funds they can get to further their research into improving the knowledge and skills available to them.

"It's great to think that, after a successful heart operation, you can go out and run a marathon!"

Coronary heart disease causes over 117,000 deaths a year in the UK - approximately one in five deaths in men and one in six in women.

All funds raised by the Heart Runners team will help ensure the BHF can continue its work into the causes and prevention of the disease.

And Martin, who is keen to raise as much money as is possible asks that all sponsorship donations for The British Heart Foundation be addressed to: Martin Taylor, c/o Cirencester Golf Club, Bagendon, Cirencester GL7 7BH.