Layton family foursome in for a marathon first

The four Mowbrays will be supporting blind and deaf charity Sense and hope to inspire other ordinary families to get fit and lose weight.

And Peter, 52, wife Louise, 46, daughter Charlotte, 22 and son Bradley, 18, have been told they will be the first family of four to run the London Marathon, which takes place on April 28.

Peter said: “We are not particularly athletic so anyone can do this with the right training.

“We have done five half marathons, including one in London this year, and we did the London Marathon last year without Bradley because he was too young.

“That was hard, it was so hot on the day, like a furnace, so we are hoping for a cooler day this time.

“Virgin have confirmed that we will be the first family of four to run it, and we are hoping to raise £1,7000 each for the charity.

“Sense means a lot to us because my sister Michelle has hearing and vision problems.”

Peter, an operating department practitioner at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, said he had been encouraged to start running two years ago by Charlotte as his weight had crept up to 22 stone.

“She entered Louise and I into the Blackpool 10k race and it went on from there.

“We are not fast runners, we did the Manchester marathon in six hours and 50 minutes which is not bad for a first one. If we can do it anyone can. People can track our progress via the race app.”

Race details

The Virgin Money London Marathon starts at 9.05am for the elite wheelchair athletes with tennis star Andy Murray waving them off and the men’s race at 10.10am.