Widower to run ultramarathon to honour wife

A widower will embark on a mammoth 100km (62 miles) ultramarathon next summer to raise money for the cancer charity that helped his wife.

Billy Green's spouse, Katelen, 24, had stage four cancer and died in January, just weeks after the pair tied the knot in a dream Christmas wedding.

Mr Green, from Telford, said it had since been the most difficult period of his life, but he had found solace in a renewed love of running and fitness.

The 29-year-old told BBC Radio Shropshire his wife's story had inspired him to give back, and he hoped to raise £5,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support when he takes part in the Race to the Stones run.

"It's been a really hard, challenging year," he said. "It's just been me and my son, and I've just been trying to focus on him now.

"[But] I wanted to do an ultramarathon, and I couldn't think of a better way to do one than to do it with a fundraiser in memory of my wife.

"I think it is a good way to honour her memory."

Katelen was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system, when she was just 19. Despite daily trips to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital for chemotherapy, the pair still wanted their dream wedding.

After finding their ideal venue, Stanford Farm in Halfway House, the family were shocked after the owners and suppliers donated everything to them for free.

Mr Green said this month marked a year since the ceremony, which had brought memories flooding back.

But he added that taking up running over the last few months had helped him to cope with the grief.

"It clears your mind, and that's why it's been so good for me with this year being so hard," he explained.

Mr Green is now a regular trail racer and will embark on his biggest challenge next year.

He will take on Race to the Stones on 12 July, which goes through the Chiltern Hills and North Wessex Downs before reaching the finish line at Avebury Stone Circle in Wiltshire.

"It's going to be a challenging one," he said.

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