Deb Tate (41) and Sally Moore (40) are taking part in this weekend’s Great North Run. They will be raising money for the charity Aspire, which supports people suffering from spinal injuries.

They are raising the money in memory of Kevin Mooney, whose wife, Alison, is one of their friends.

Mr Mooney, a keen athlete, died nearly two years ago while jogging in Coppleflat Lane near their home in Walkington, where he was in collision with a van.

The two women have been in training for the run for six months, and Deb said that Alison had asked if they would support the charity in her husband’s memory, as it was a cause which would be close to Kevin’s heart.

Deb has previously run both the Great North Run and the London Marathon, but the run on Sunday will be Sally’s first half marathon. They have been training by running in the Beverley area and are hoping between them to raise about £800 to £1,000.

Alison said that Kevin died while out training for a triathlon. “Obviously his death was a huge shock and I had to think at the time of a charity as so many people who came to the funeral asked what to do with their donations,” she said.

“Kevin hated flowers with a passion and I needed to find somewhere appropriate to channel the money. I found Aspire, which supports athletes with spinal injuries, often caused by accidents, and I thought it was something he would have approved of.”

Donations at the funeral raised more than £2,000, and seven friends of Alison who took part in the Great North Run last year raised nearly £3,500 for the charity. Thousands of people will take part in the run on Sunday (October 5) from Newcastle on Tyne to South Shields.

Kevin had himself taken part in the event himself several times.

Anyone wanting to sponsor Deb and Sally is asked to visit www.justgiving.com/debtate1.