LINDLEY councillor Cahal Burke is taking his fundraising transatlantic.

The Lib Dem councillor will join thousands of runners taking part in this year’s New York City Marathon.

The 26.2 mile race is renowned as one of the biggest and the best marathons in the world.

Participants are taken on an exhilarating route through the five boroughs of New York to the finish in Central Park, Manhattan.

Clr Buke will be pounding the pavements to raise money for Yorkshire Cancer Research.

He has only been running for the last few years, having taken up the activity after becoming injured playing football.

The councillor has since run several half and full marathons to raise money for the charity.

He is also one of the founding members of the Lindley 10K.

The annual charity running event took place for the second time in July this year.

He said: “I’m very excited about running in one the world’s biggest charity running events.

“It’s certainly going to be an incredible experience and I’m likely to pick up some ideas we might be able to adapt for the 10k next year.

Clr Burke has funded the whole trip and race fee himself.

All of the money he raises will go towards helping Yorkshire Cancer Research and the valuable work it does.

The charitable body helps people beat cancer by supporting world-class research, diagnosis and treatment in the region.

Clr Burke said: “Like many people, I have family members and friends who have suffered with this terrible illness.

“It’s very important to me that I continue to support the search for a cure.”

People can sponsor Clr Burke’s marathon challenge online at www.justgiving.com/Burke1 .

The New York Marathon takes place on Sunday, November 2.

Last year close to 45,000 runners from 100 nations participated in the 42nd race.

It has become a rich tradition in the city and attracts millions of spectators.

Some of the unique characteristics are that there are no qualifying or cut-off times, making the event accessible for both serious runners and those who just want to enjoy the setting.