FIONA Castle is to pull on her running shoes – in tribute to her husband.

Fiona, the widow of musician and TV presenter Roy Castle, is to don her running shoes and take part in Huddersfield’s first ever Cancer Research UK Run10k in the autumn.

Roy, one the town’s most famous sons, lost his life to cancer.

His widow – who backed his massive campaign to alert people to cancer – said she felt it was only fitting that she should join the hundreds of runners who will hit the streets of Huddersfield on Sunday, October 17, to raise money for cancer research – even though she will be 70 this year.

The couple married in 1963 after being introduced through the comedian Eric Morecambe.

Fiona, who was a dancer for many years and keeps herself fit, is looking forward to the run.

Fiona, the patron of the Roy Castle Fund, said: “Roy was very proud of his Huddersfield roots and I am thrilled to see that Cancer Research UK will be staging a Run10k here.

“We lost Roy to lung cancer and he spent his last years raising money for lung cancer research.

“I know he would have been delighted to have seen a big cancer research fundraising event in his home town, so I feel very strongly that I should get involved and take part myself.

“I’m really looking forward to it and it will be an emotional moment to see St George’s Square packed with eager runners who all want to do their bit to help beat this awful disease”.

Scholes-born Roy was a hugely talented dancer, jazz trumpeter, comedian, actor and presenter with a varied career including being Doctor Who’s first male assistant in the film Doctor Who and the Daleks, appearing in Carry on Up the Khyber and starring in the Roy Castle Show.

He is most fondly remembered though for Record Breakers, a children’s TV show he hosted for nearly 20 years. During that time he broke no less than nine world records including fastest tap-dancer and longest wing-walk.

Although never a smoker, Roy blamed cigarette smoke for his lung cancer. He was convinced that years of playing trumpet in smoky jazz clubs was the cause.

Fiona became a leading campaigner for the ban on smoking in public places which was brought in during 2007.

Cancer Research UK are looking to attract over 2,000 local runners to take part in the Huddersfield run and help raise £50,000 for the charity’s life saving work.

Andy Wilson, Regional Events Manager for Cancer Research UK said:Š “Running 10k is an achievable challenge and it is perfectly okay to run a bit, walk a bit – this isn’t just an event for the very fit.

“With a bit of training anyone can take part.”

To enter Run 10k visit www.run10k.orgŠ