Running up charity donation

A NEWARK couple have run up a total of more than £700 for charity - by competing in the world’s biggest half-marathon. Miss Katherine Rushton, 29, raised an estimated £350 for Cancer Research UK by taking part in Sunday’s Great North Run. Katherine, International Accounts Manager at Newark PR specialists AURA PR, took part in the 13.1 mile race with her partner, Mr John Whyld, 35, who netted an additional £350-plus for the cancer charity.

The pair trained for some months for the event, which Katherine successfully completed for the first time last year.

Katherine, who was late starting her training programme because of illness, completed this year’s race in 1hr 51min, just six minutes more than her personal best, set in last year’s event. John completed the course in 1hr 42 min.

A record of nearly 49,000 runners competed in this year’s Newcastle-on-Tyne based Great North Run, which has grown each year since its launch in 1981.

Katherine’s recent work at AURA PR has seen her use her language skills in Spanish, French and German to promote new solar technology in polycarbonate sheets developed by Doncaster firm Palram for the roof of the main Olympic stadium in Athens.

As a result of her work, Katherine has sold in features about Palram to German, French and Spanish construction and architecture titles - spreading the news about Palram even further afield.