Medical student Kate Stein will have a few familiar faces cheering her on when she crosses the line to complete the London Marathon.

While Miss Stein's father, Magdalen College don Professor John Stein, will be out of the country, her uncle, celebrity chef Rick Stein, and cousin, superstar DJ Judge Jules, will be there to support her.

Miss Stein, 25, from Oakthorpe Road, North Oxford, is running the race for the charity her father runs, the Dyslexia Research Trust, and is hoping to raise £6,000.

It is the first time the Oxford-based charity has been allocated a place in the London Marathon and Miss Stein said it was unlikely there would ever be another such chance.

She said: "The charity had been on the waiting list for seven years before we got a place, and I don't think we'll get another one - which is why I have to make a lot of money.

"It's so incredibly important for me, not only because it's my dad's charity, but also because I worked for it for a year. It's great. It runs free clinics where children can come in and be tested.

"My dad's a genius, and is unique in the world of dyslexia, because he's a neurosurgeon, while most of the research is done by psychologists."

Miss Stein is studying in London and hopes to become a psychiatrist.

She aims to finish the marathon in under four-and-a-half hours, and has already raised around £3,500 through donations and fundraising events. Rick Stein has pledged £1,000 - but will only hand over the money once she crosses the finishing line.

Miss Stein said: "My uncle is a really big supporter of the charity. My cousin Edward has dyslexia, which the charity actually diagnosed."

Rick Stein said: "We have all got quite a vested interest in helping dyslexia. My main reason for supporting the charity is that lots of chefs are dyslexic and they tend to find it quite embarrassing that they can't spell - and I find that quite touching. I'm very impressed with Kate. She's a remarkably energetic girl, and I'll be there cheering her on with one or two of her friends."

Last year a benefit event for the charity was held at London's Ivy restaurant. Rick Stein was among the chefs cooking dinner for celebrity guests.

Miss Stein can be sponsored by visiting www.justgiving.com/kate-stein, or send a cheque to the Dyslexia Research Trust, University Laboratory of Physiology, Oxford, OX1 3PT.

Are you taking part in the London Marathon? Are you doing it for charity?

Call the Oxford Mail newsdesk on 01865 425500 or send an email to nqonews@nqo.com