A TEACHER from Allostock has kickstarted her two-part endurance challenge to raise money for a cancer charity this weekend, in memory of her dad who passed away last year following a short illness.

Sam Lawrence, 31, ran the Liverpool Rock and Roll half marathon yesterday, Sunday, May 28, before taking on the English Half Marathon in Warrington on September 17.

Her fundraising journey began after her dad Pete was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in July 2016, passing away at home just four weeks later.

Pete had been experiencing increasing stomach pains since the turn of the year, but was misdiagnosed with IBS, liver metastases and then lung cancer before the illness was identified.

Sam said: “I want to raise some hope for what is so often a hopeless diagnosis.

"Statistics relating to pancreatic cancer really are your ‘worst case scenario’ and people are sadly more aware of other cancers which can have much more positive outcomes.

“If running to raise money can stop other families going through what we have, then there is no better reason.

"My dad was always my biggest champion and this is the least I can do in his memory.”

Pancreatic cancer is the UK’s fifth biggest cancer killer.

Follow the fundraiser at justgiving.com/fundraising/SamLawrence86.