Sutton Coldfield postman set to deliver on marathon challeng

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Sutton Coldfield postman set to deliver on marathon challenge for The Fire Fighters Charity in memory of their fathers

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TWO well-known Sutton Coldfield posties are in training to deliver one of their best performances yet - by taking part in the Rome Marathon.

Russell Bow, from Great Barr, along with friend and colleague Stuart Wall from Tamworth, will in a few weeks time be taking to the historic streets of the Italian capital and hoping to raise thousands for a charity close to their hearts.

Both men, Russell, 34 and Stuart, 36, will be raising money for The Fire Fighters Charity but also making the marathon effort in memory of their fathers, who both passed away in the last few years.

Russell said: “We are going to be thinking about them lots that day. Stuart’s dad passed away the Christmas before mine did. So this is going to be a big thing for both of us.”

Russell’s father Graham Bow was a former firefighter who died in July last year at the age of 60.

Mr Bow worked for the Fire Service for 24 years, serving mainly as a station officer in Ward End.

He was forced to retire because of a debilitating rheumatoid arthritis condition.

Graham Bow, of Reddicap Heath Road in Sutton, volunteered for the Fire Fighters Charity, along with his wife Lynn, for 35 years, and became the operational officer for the West Midlands area for the charity in 2006 upon his retirement.

He also attended Buckingham Palace three times, once to be awarded the MBE for his work for the fire service.

Russell said: “To run a few miles for a few hundred pound with months of hard work for me is nothing compared to the years of service through the pain and suffering my father made whilst using his spare time to raise thousands.

“My personal reasons are huge and I feel it is something i have to do.

“We both feel a personal incentive to put ourselves through a pain barrier for people we know who used to be there for us when we needed it."

The pair, who will be doing the run on Sunday, March 23, have already raised around £2,000 but want to make as much as they can for the charity.

“We ran the Silverstone half marathon last weekend and that went really well, so we are just hoping it all goes well for us in Italy too,” he said.

To sponsor them, visit http://www.justgiving.com/Russell-Bow" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;