Marathon man Mike Buss has given our Help for Heroes Appeal a massive boost by pledging to put all cash he raises towards our bid to help pay for a personnel recovery centre at Tidworth.

Now the Gazette needs the people of Wiltshire to sign up for a 5k run that Mr Buss is organising in Lydiard Park on June 6.

He has set himself a target of raising £1 million for the charity by 2014 and £100,000 by the end of this year. He said: “So far I have about 400 people signed up for Lydiard but it would be great to get to the 1,000 mark.”

Mr Buss himself will be taking part and he will be joined by his partner Kirsty and their two-year-old son Ethan. Mr Buss said: “Ethan loves running. He is not very good at keeping on a route so he will probably be in his buggy for most of it.”

Mr Buss, an ex-soldier, turned to running and fitness when he found life hard in civvy street when he was medically discharged from the army.

He has recently completed the ‘Brighton to London 320’, when he ran the Brighton and London marathons within a few days, and ran to and from the marathons from his home in Wiltshire.

The day will start with an Army Parachute Display Team jumping into the sports field by the start line.

He said: “It is a whole day event, so it would be great if people stay after the run.”

There will also be a Help for Heroes stand.

To register, e-mail Mike: activelifeuk@hotmail.com for a postal registration form, or register online at www.runforheroes.org.uk.