Father hits wall for marathon run to boost battle against genetic disorder

Nick Dale came up with the idea to run laps of what are the most complete example of medieval city walls in England to raise cash for the Tuberous Sclerosis Association.

His four-year-old son, Sam, has been diagnosed with the condition, which is caused by an alteration in a gene.

Sufferers have growths in different organs of their body including the brain, heart, eyes, skin, kidneys and lungs, and may have epilepsy, learning disabilities, autism and kidney problems.

Mr Dale was joined by five friends, David Cropper, Paul Barnet, Phil Jackson, David Foster and Mark Cage, for the charity run on Saturday.

They started at 8.30am when the city walls opened to the public and all managed to do at least 10 laps of the 2.7-mile circuit over a seven-hour period.

Each lap involved negotiating the 525 steps around the walls, and Mr Dale admitted that the run had taken its toll on his body.

The 40-year-old teacher, also has a daughter, Isabelle, six, and lives in Hemingbrough, near Selby, with his wife, Joanne.

He said: “I must admit my legs were really stiff the following morning. I literally had to crawl out of the car when I got home and head upstairs for an ice-cold bath in the hope that it would help me recover.

“But looking back now, it really could not have gone any better. We have raised a lot of cash while also raising the profile of tuberous sclerosis and the need for research into it.”

The runners are hoping to have raised up to £5,000 for the Tuberous Sclerosis Association.