Father and son duo from Clayton-le-Woods raise over £500 for cancer charity from Spain

Mike and Dean Thompson have recently returned home having competed in this year’s Al Andalusia Ultimate Trail and raising over £500 for Rosemere Cancer Foundation.

Police officer Dean, 37, finished 10th in a total time of 32:35:33.

Retired retail assistant Mike, 70, who used to work at Clayton Green’s Asda supermarket, wasn’t awarded an official finishing time although he ran the equivalent of just under two marathons in 40 degree plus heat.

Mike said: “To complete the trail you have to average approximately 29 miles a day.

“There are checkpoints around every 10km or so and you have to reach them in a certain time. If you don’t, you’re out and unfortunately, about half of the entrants, myself included, didn’t.”

Mike, who was diagnosed with an arthritic hip shortly before the event, added: “You set off crossing a road and then you were straight into a 3,000ft climb – a mountain the equivalent size of Mount Snowdon.

"It didn’t give me the chance to get into my running and with absolutely no shade anywhere, I was a bit slower than I needed to be.”

But Mike remains undeterred as he and Dean are already entered into a six day African 155 mile trail event next year, which they will again run for Rosemere Cancer Foundation.

Climbing the mountain was the pair’s first Rosemere fundraiser 11 years ago. Since then, they have run the 127-mile length of the Leeds to Liverpool Canal, trekked the Gobi and Atacama Deserts and climbed Argentina’s Mount Aconcagua.

Mike said: “We believe in giving something back and know however tough our challenges are, they are never as tough as going through cancer and its treatment.

“We would like to thank everyone who supported our Andalusia trail, including members of Lyn’s Church, Leyland Pentecostal Church, for their sponsorship.”

Rosemere Cancer Foundation works to bring world class cancer treatments and services to cancer patients from throughout Lancashire and South Cumbria.

The charity funds cutting-edge equipment, clinical research, staff training and innovative services and initiatives that the NHS cannot afford in order to make patients’ cancer journey more effective, comfortable and stress-free.