THIS Suffolk family have good reason to feel proud of themselves today.Robin, Ruth and Natasha Belsom are all taking on the challenge of running the London Marathon this year after the luck of the ballot saw them all gain places in the prestigious event.

THIS Suffolk family have good reason to feel proud of themselves today.

Robin, Ruth and Natasha Belsom are all taking on the challenge of running the London Marathon this year after the luck of the ballot saw them all gain places in the prestigious event.

And 47-year-old old Robin said running the course with the support of both his sister Ruth, 44, and his 20-year-old daughter, Natasha, would really spur him on.

The company director from John Street, at Ipswich's Waterfront, added: “We really didn't expect to all be running, it's incredibly lucky and I think it will be really helpful.

“I train with my daughter with the Ipswich JAFFA running club and we can be quite competitive.

“The motivation is brilliant and it's brought us closer together by giving us something we do with each other.

“And I'm particularly proud of my sister who has gone from being a smoker to pushing herself to the limits for this race.”

His daughter Natasha, a Suffolk College student of Newton Road, Ipswich, agreed that running with her dad helped bring the best out of her.

She said: “I get really nervous so being with my dad will be great on the day because he'll calm me down.

“He started getting into running before me so I don't think I'd have done it without him.

“I'm so pleased we all got in.”

And her aunt, Ruth, who lives in Great Blakenham, added: “It is great for everyone's spirit that we're all involved.

“I'm sure those two will be way ahead of me on the day but it's nice to know that they're there.

“For me it is an important personal challenge because I saw my brother the second time he ran it and then I thought I couldn't do that, but now I am.”

The trio will be taking to the streets of the capital on April 22 when Robin and Natasha will be raising money for East Anglia's Children's Hospices while Ruth will be collecting for the Stroke Association.

n To support Robin or Natasha visit www.justgiving.com/robinbelsom

n Are you running the marathon for a good cause? Contact Rebecca on 01473 324802 or e-mail rebecca.lefort@eveningstar.co.uk

Did You Know?

The average runner takes around four hours and 30 minutes to complete the 26.2 miles.

Marathon FastFacts:

The first London marathon took place on March 29, 1981.

More than 20,000 people applied to run in the inaugural marathon, 7,747 were accepted and 6,255 crossed the finish line.

Since then, the event has continued to grow in size, stature and popularity with a capacity 46,500 accepted entrants each year.

In all, a total of 572,174 have completed the race since its inception with a record 32,899 crossing the line in 2002.