Marathon fundraiser (From Penarth Times)

Marathon fundraiser

A PENARTH charity has benefited from the dedicated fundraising of a marathon running engineer.

A cheque for more than £12,000 was presented to Marie Curie Holme Tower, Bridgeman Road, Penarth by Firouz Mal.

Firouz, 46, of St Augustine's Road, is an engineer on a passenger liner.

He said: "I started to raise money for Marie Curie four to five years ago when my brother-in-law was admitted to the hospice.

He was so well looked after, I felt I should raise money for the charity.

He added: "I was already fit before I began to take up the challenge of two marathons a year.

I have to train hard each day and run about 60 miles a week."

This is not the first time Firouz has raised such a substantial amount of money because three years ago he raised £13,000.

Each year he travels through the Panama Canal and races the passenger liner along the canal bank.

He said: "I run 25 miles and cycle 25 miles, which this year took just over six hours.

"The passengers and the staff on the liner are great because they support me all the way.

"Ten staff accompany me on the run and add their assistance.

One passenger has given £1,000 and £500 in the past two years."

Firouz has run this year's London Marathon and in September he is set to run the Budapest marathon.

Over the three or four years Firouz has been running for the charity he has raised upwards of £30,000.

This time £8,000 was contributed to the fund by an auction on the liner in which the runners Marie Curie shirt was sold for £50.

Firouz added: "The hospice deserve all the money they get because all the staff are so dedicated to the patients."