It will be a special moment for four members of the same family when they take part in the Great North Run this weekend.

Lining up with Olympic champion Mo Farrah and 56,000 others will be Alan Chittenden, 65, his wife Helen, 55, son Tom, 27, and 24-year-old daughter Hannah.

The Upperthong family were inspired to run the half marathon in honour of Colin Stones, Helen’s father, who died aged 85 from Alzheimer’s last summer.

For tennis-loving Tom and Alan, who plays football, swims and attends a local gym it should be a stroll in the park.

But for the less sporty Helen and Hannah, they say they will be just glad to finish.

Tom, a producer/director with ITV, said: “My mum and sister wanted to do some fundraising for Alzheimer’s research and have a strong attachment to that so this seemed a sensible thing to do.

“We had a target of £500 but we are already well on the way to achieving that.

“My dad is quite sporty and we play football and run together and it will be his eighth time and my sixth.

“My mum ran it 10 years ago but for my sister it will be her first time.”

Tom’s girlfriend, Beckie Stead, 27, of Fenay Bridge, is going to run the race for the first time too but in aid of Cancer Research.

The 13.1 mile race on Sunday is one of the biggest in the calendar and has a special appeal this year with the stellar appearance of double Olympic champion Mo Farrah.

Tom added: “Having Mo running alongside us will be quite inspirational.”

Helen joked: “I think Mo will have finished not long after we have started but I’m looking forward to it.

“I’ve been up before, last year, to support Tom and there was a great atmosphere, it was absolutely brilliant.

“But to be honest I am looking forward to Monday most of all when it’s all finished. I’m sure my dad will be helping me round.

“His death left such a gap in all our lives, particularly my mum Gladys’s – they had been together 68 years.”

Hannah, a teaching assistant at Hillside Primary School in Newsome, added: “My nan couldn’t believe it when I told her. I am not at all sporty but I think my grandad would have been very proud of us all.”

Alan said: “I’m looking forward to it. With 56,000 people taking part there should be a great atmosphere.”

Anyone wishing to give money should go to:

www.justgiving.com/The-Chittendens