A man from Coulsdon will run the London Marathon to raise money for the hospice that cared for his dad before he died of cancer.

Lucas Tucker was just seven years old when his dad Geoff was diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer after eight months of investigations.

Geoff spent 14 weeks in St Christopher’s Hospice before he died in 2011, and according to Lucas the hospice provided an “incredible service” to his family.

Now, 19-year-old Lucas wants to give back to those who gave to him and his dad and raise some money to help the hospice out.

Your Local Guardian:

He says he thinks his dad would be happy to see that he was able to take on a challenge like this one.

Lucas told Your Local Guardian: “I haven’t really done anything remotely exercise related in months so I thought doing a marathon would help me get into better health.

“It’s what my dad would want, and it’s a great way to target multiple things in one go.

“It’s been something on my bucket list and St Christopher’s needs the support.”

Lucas said the hospice was a “very wholesome” place when his dad was unwell, and it was a support to him, his brother, his mum and his half-sister.

He explained: “St Christopher’s was definitely something that was relied upon during my father’s stay.

“They were very warm to us and we had our own private room because my dad had young children.

“It was quiet with gardens and a café and it meant we could see him daily even though he couldn’t do much towards the end.

“It’s a nice place where my dad was as comfortable as he could be,”

Your Local Guardian:

Lucas will attempt the full 26-miles on October 3, proudly repping the St Christopher’s logo.

He added: “I’m giving back which I think is generally very important.

“If you get something, you should give back, and it feels nice to help others.

“I’d hope that my dad would be very proud.”

Lucas’ mum Beate said she is “very grateful” for all the help the family had from St Christopher’s when her husband was ill, and she wants to help enable them to continue helping other patients in need.

The mum-of-two added: “This is a big challenge to Lucas and he’s going from couch potato to marathon finishing line in three months.

“Lucas was only young when his dad passed away and it’s a great thing for him to be doing.”

Lucas has raised £2,600 of his £3,000 target so far - you can donate here.