Nick Smith MP has thanked the club that got him up and running on the way to his bid for the London Marathon.

The Blaenau Gwent MP will be running the marathon for Hospice of the Valleys, which provides palliative care to more than 500 people every year.

Now as he gets his fundraising effort underway, Nick praised Parc Bryn Bach Running Club for getting people like him on the road to better health.

The club’s Parkrun on Saturdays has proven to be a big hit and the club has everything from competition runners and marathon entrants to people of all ages getting their first taste of long distance running.

“The running club are the reason I’m able to even attempt this marathon for the Hospice. They’ve been so supportive and giving me lots of tips for the big day”, said Nick.

“Everyone should come down and give Parkrun a go, especially if they haven’t done much physical activity in a while. It’s bustling and friendly and a real community Blaenau Gwent should be proud of”.

Nick would like to thank the The Rookery in Llangattock, who helped raise £100 for his fundraising efforts by offering a Parkrun raffle winner a Sunday lunch for two.

To donate to Nick’s London Marathon 2018 run for the Hospice of the Valleys, visit https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/NickSmithLondon2018

For more information on Parkun, visit http://www.parkrun.org.uk/brynbach/

The Hospice will also be holding a fundraising six mile race on the 22^nd April at Parc Bryn Bach, Tredegar. For more information and to register visit http://hospiceofthevalleys.org.uk/event/six-mile-race-2018/