A TRIO of colleagues who work at Dyson in Malmesbury are donning their running shoes to raise money for charity by taking part in this weekend’s London marathon.

Kathryn Cookson, a senior business process analyst at the Wiltshire company, will be joined by Nik Bartlett and Adam Brann for the 26.2 mile race on Sunday.

They running in memory of Kathryn’s grandad to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK after the 26-year-old witnessed first-hand the devastating impact of the disease on her family.

This will be the second time she has competed at the race in his memory and the three runners are hoping to add to the £1,500 they have already raised.

Kathryn said: “It was really sad seeing my grandad with Alzheimer’s as you lose the person you know and love - they become a different person.

"My grandad was really good with it, he just became very smiley, but I know it affects people differently and sometimes they can become quite aggressive.

“I’m glad to be running the marathon for Alzheimer’s Research UK, as I can do my bit to help fund a cure and hopefully prevent other people from going through this in the future.”

Speaking about the marathon, she said: “I can’t wait for the day, although my training hasn’t gone exactly to plan.

“I’ve had a few issues along the way, most recently when we had our team photograph taken and I twisted my ankle.

“But it’s feeling much better and I’m aiming to finish the race in under five hours.”

All the funds raised by Kathryn, Nik and Adam for their efforts will be matched by the James Dyson Foundation and will be added to the total already raised by Dyson people, which is more than £81,000.

To find out more about Kathryn’s story and to donate to her campaign, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/Kathryn-Cookson