A DAD and daughter duo will together take on the 'daunting' 26-mile London Marathon route, in tribute to a grandmother and the Oxford hospice that cared for her.

Rebecca and Vince Foster will be among a throng of thousands of runners at next month’s London Marathon, and hope to raise £1,500 for Sobell House Hospice.

They have chosen to support the Headington hospice in memory of Mr Foster’s mother Pauline Foster, who died at home in January 2016, after being cared for there.

Banbury resident Miss Foster, 29, said: “When my nan was diagnosed with cancer we were given endless support by the Sobell House team.

“The community team helped my dad care for my nan and, most importantly, they helped us to make her comfortable.

“The support was invaluable, so we really wanted to give something back and raise money.”

Her 53-year-old father, who lives in Carterton, is a seasoned marathon runner - but Miss Foster has never before tackled the challenge.

She said: “It’s incredibly daunting since the most I have ever run is seven kilometres, and I only started running just over a year ago.”

The pair hope to raise £1,500 in sponsorship ahead of the race, which takes place on April 22.

Miss Foster’s fundraising page states: “Sobell House went over and above to make her last weeks comfortable and provide invaluable support to the family.

“It will be a walk in the park for dad, but this will be my first marathon I will complete.

“The next few months will be packed with countless hours of training.

“It will all be worth it when we cross the finish line in April, and hopefully provide Sobell House with a large contribution to help them to continue their fantastic work.”

Sobell House fundraiser Kevin Game, who oversees Sobell’s runners in the marathon, said: “Community fundraising is vital to us, so anyone that is running the marathon with a ballot place this year is welcome to raise funds for a much-needed service in Oxfordshire.

“Without community support we couldn’t offer the end of life care that we do to around 3,000 people in the county, at home, in the day centre and on our wards.

“We are grateful to all of our runners and wish them the best of luck for April.”

To support the Oxford Mail's £40,000 fundraising campaign for Sobell, please donate via justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/shhc/oxmailsobellappeal.