Lapping up a relay challenge

Biggleswade dad John McBurney has organised an endurance race to raise funds for his daughter's school, St Mary's Academy

John McBurney, 42, of Regent Street is pitting himself against St Mary’s Academy in Stotfold in a fun fundraiser for equipment for the school.

The aerial filming and photography company boss said: “I’m competing against a relay team of five parents – including my wife Kate – running continuous laps around the school field.” Pupils will be encouraged to join in and help out as part of the relay team.

As an extra incentive, they’ll be able to dress up or wear sporty clothes, in return for a small donation.

John attended assembly on Wednesday to explain the challenge, which has caught the imagination of staff and students alike.

He said: “I’ve been running for about 12 years and did the marathon last year for Cancer Research UK.

“But I also like to raise money for local organisations so I approached the school with the idea and talked about it at assembly. The kids were really excited – they all want to beat me. “What they don’t realise is that I’m very competitive too, and I’m accustomed to running long distances.”

The endurance race takes place on Friday (May 22) and there will also be a sweepstake with a fantastic prize for the lucky winner. Entrants will need to guess how many laps of the school field John will complete during his challenge.

John’s eight-year-old daughter Mabel, who’s in Year 3 at St Mary’s, will be part of the school relay team. Her brother Oliver, 10, is a former pupil. He’s now at Etonbury Academy.

> If you’d like to sponsor John, email him at [email protected]