I'm doing the Great North Run on 9 September to remember my Uncle Adrian, who we lost in February this year, and contribute to a memorial fund his family have set up in his name with the American Diabetes Association.

I used to run several times a week and do long runs on weekends all along the Thames, until in 2015 I partially tore my ACL. After a long period of recovery and physio, I am now trying to regain my running strength. I ran 10k again for the first time on 22 April, and am now taking on the challenge to do the Great North Run half marathon, in September.

I am also running in memory of my friend and colleague Becky Dykes, who was taken from us too soon. If you'd like to support the Rebecca Dykes Foundation please visit here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/nicola-great-north-run

Thank you for your sponsorship for these two very important causes!

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As I want the money to go to the memorial fund, and it's an American charity, I have set this up as a crowdfunding page and I will then transfer the final amount to the memorial fund which is here: http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR?pxfid=743493&pg=fund&fr_id=5720

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Adrian spoke to you like an adult even when you weren't. He was ready to debate life, the universe and everything, at any time of day. He was full of life lessons, but also a stoic realism about human nature - a realism that was always infused with the best kind of dry humour.

On Adrian's last birthday I sent him a Facebook greeting, saying I hoped we'd see each other soon. He quipped "Hopefully not at my funeral." My response was: "I'm not sure that would count" and he told me: "Perhaps in some kind of mystical way." I hope he was right. I think even now he would enjoy the bittersweet irony of that.

He was always ready with a joke, a one-liner, some intelligent twist on the situation. But he was also ready to be as silly as anyone, getting involved in our childhood pranks and denying them to the very end. On my Dad's 70th he chose to honour him by recounting in detail the time my Dad spit in his mouth when they were children. And he did a fantastic (loving) impression of our Great Aunt Tina.

Adrian always took an interest in those around him. He kept up to date with my progress through life from thousands of miles away, all while being an amazing father to no less than eight kids, each of whom is an amazing individual with their own talents. Once, I was lucky enough to be part of it. Rachel wanted to do some filming at the hurricane- damaged Coney island, so he obliged and drove her up there, me in tow. We watched for a while, and then took a stroll along the boardwalk discussing family history, and, once again, life, the universe and everything.