MORE than 2,000 runners will be pounding the streets this week to complete their training for the first Oxford Half Marathon.

Sunday’s race from the Kassam Stadium in Grenoble Road is expected to raise about £10,000 for East Oxford hospice Helen & Douglas House.

Jason Tasker, 32, is among those set to take part and hopes to raise £2,000 for three-year-old Charlotte Nott.

The Oxford youngster had to have her limbs amputated below the joints to stop the spread of meningitis last year.

On Sunday Mr Tasker joined Charlotte’s mother Jenny Daniels at Asda in Wheatley to collect donations from shoppers towards the Charlotte’s Appeal trust fund.

The Garsington father-of-two said: “I got to know Charlotte’s family because she attended the same nursery as my son Alfie.

“I managed to get seven local companies to pay to feature their logo on my running shirt so I have already raised about £1,600.

The courier firm worker said: “As a parent myself I wanted to do anything I could to help.”

Ms Daniels, 29, who lives with Charlotte and partner Alex Nott, 29, in Brasenose Driftway, Oxford, said: “We are very pleased that Jason is running the half marathon on Charlotte’s behalf.

“She has prosthetic limbs from the NHS but as she gets older she could need prosthetics that are more advanced, which the NHS might not be able to provide.

“We are looking at buying an adapted bike for Charlotte and have been told it will cost £1,000 which we can’t go out and buy straight away.”

Runners will set off at 9.30am.

Poppy Hanbury, events fundraiser at Helen and Douglas House, said: “The event organisers told us last week that about 2,000 people have now signed up which is a fantastic number of runners.”

People can still sign up for the marathon by visiting the website oxfordhalf marathon.co.uk Contact Charlotte’s Appeal on charlottes appeal@hotmail.co.uk