A council worker is to run the London Marathon in memory of a friend who died before a game of football.
Chris Speed, 30, of Bollam Close, Connah's Quay, a goalkeeper for Wepre Rangers Football Club, was due to play against Holywell Town at their ground in Halkyn Road in 2008.
Chris, an accountant for Flintshire Council said: "It's something I've always wanted to do and now the opportunity has come along.
"David was a great lad who got on with everybody. He was a great character. I asked his sister Nicola if she would mind me doing it and she was fully supportive."
Chris, who has been raising money since January, is supporting the charity CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young).
He has already smashed his £1,650 target by raising more than £2,600.
Wepre Rangers player Chris said: "It's been mainly colleagues, friends and family who have donated and my dad has managed to secure some donations from big businesses.
"The coroner said that David died of a massive heart attack but didn't know the cause of it. It's a relatively small charity and not as big as the British Heart Foundations so I thought It'd be good to do something for them.
"At the moment they are trying to push for more screening so they can detect these things before they happened.
"Hopefully I'll be pushing £3,000 by the time I have finished.
Chris has been following a strict training regime to ensure he is fully prepared for the big day.
He added: "My girlfriend, Kate Edmondson, used to run at a competitive level so she has been helping me to train, come rain or shine.
"I do a couple of short runs a week and then a long run on the weekend. I ran 20 miles on Good Friday."
The Marathon will be held on Sunday, April 25.
To donate to Chris, go to
http://www.justsgiving.com/chris-speed
