Leeds 10K: Warm work as Scooby goes for the triple...and without a snack in sight

EMOTIONAL Jim Kerr admitted to having a lump in his throat as he stood among hundreds of people at the starting line.

Surrounded by Leeds 10k banners bearing the face of Jane Tomlinson, he had a few minutes to contemplate the Leeds woman's legacy before it was time for him to get running.

"I did get a frog in my throat standing at the start line," he admitted. "I was just thinking about her and thought 'what an inspiration'; it fascinates me that one person can start so much, she helped start all this. When you think of the terrible time she had in her own personal life and she managed to put this behind her."

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Mr Kerr, 50, who dressed as cartoon favourite Scooby-Doo for yesterday's run, travelled over from Hull where he lives and works as a job centre manager.

He was being sponsored by a local lodge of the Freemasons, De La Pole, and has raised around 1,000 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

Mr Kerr, who lives in Willerby, estimates that he has raised about 20,000 over the years for various charities. "I have run all over the world, in the Sahara desert, as well as taking part in races in Yorkshire."

He is aiming for what he called the "triple" – taking part in the three Jane Tomlinson 10k runs this year, in Hull, Leeds and York.

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In May he completed the Hull 10k in the same costume but in temperatures which hit a strength-sapping 25C, much higher than yesterday's breezy and overcast conditions. The heat inside the furry outfit wasn't anything he hadn't encountered before.

"I am used to high temperatures because I ran 150 miles across the Sahara desert and took part in an ultra-marathon in Chile."

He declared the Leeds 10k a "fantastic event" which raised thousands of pounds for many different charities.

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