A Bicester man is set to run a half-marathon after losing eight and a half stone in just over a year.
Robert Carpenter, an IT support worker who was born and raised in Bicester before moving to Glossop in Derbyshire two years ago, weighed 26 stone and seven pounds in April 2023.
In the following 13 moths, Mr Carpenter lost the weight through a combination of diet and regular exercise.
He is now set to take on the Great Manchester Run on Sunday, May 26.
Talking about how he managed to lose the weight, he said: "The main contributing factor has been running.
“I downloaded the NHS Couch to 5K app in May 2023. I completed the nine week programme, and my graduation run was at Glossop parkrun, which is my local parkrun.
“I’ve of course done the Bicester parkrun too, the people are really friendly there. I do the Bicester parkrun every time I go and visit my mum, who still lives in Bicester."
He added: “Since my first parkrun, I have done nearly 40 parkruns, and that has led me on to doing this half-marathon for charity.”
Running for the St Mary’s Maternity Hospital in Manchester, where his wife works as a midwife, Mr Carpenter aimed to raise £500 and has already achieved £428.10, plus £97.03 in GiftAid.
He said he wants to "highlight" the hospital and "give them the credit they deserve".
The 35-year-old is aiming to complete the 13.1-mile city-wide race in a time of under two hours.
Beyond the race, Mr Carpenter plans to continue losing weight with a goal to drop another four stone.
He added: "Losing weight and getting fitter has made me feel a lot better.
"I enjoy running, the sense of freedom, seeing the outside world, and getting fresh air.
“Especially when it comes to exploring the local area, because a lot of the beautiful areas in and around Glossop, I had never actually seen before."
Viv Williamson, events manager at Manchester Foundation Trust Charity, said: "We’re extremely grateful to Rob for his fundraising and we wish him the best of luck in the upcoming Great Manchester Run.
“Rob’s is an inspirational story and it’s great to see him incorporating fundraising into his pursuit of a healthier lifestyle.
“We hope that his story encourages others to get their trainers on, and get running for a fantastic cause.
“Fundraisers like Rob provide important support for projects across the hospital and the money raised by Rob will make a difference to women and babies cared for by Saint Mary’s Hospital maternity services.”
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