A NORTH Yorkshire dad is joining nearly 1,000 runners on Boxing Day in an effort to raise awareness of heart disease for charity Heart Research UK.

Jon Rhodes, 41, from Harewood Road, Harrogate, is running in the event after being diagnosed with bradycardia – where adults have a heart rate slower than 60 beats per minute.

Jon has since been fitted with a pacemaker, but is unable to exercise until the week before the event, but it hasn’t stopped his determination: “I won’t be able to run until a week before Christmas, so completing the Chevin Chase on Boxing Day will be quite a challenge but I will complete it, even if I have to walk,” he said.

Toxicologist Jon, likes to keep active with his family by being part of the Bradford Bandits BMX Racing Club, with his two sons Francis, 11, Devin, 7, and his dad, Tom.

They plan to have Heart Research UK’s logo printed on their race shirts next year, to raise as much awareness as possible.

The Rhodes family has a history of heart disease; with Jon’s father, Tom, 65, having a heart attack as a result of atherosclerosis, which is a potentially serious condition where arteries become clogged up by fatty substances. He has had stents fitted and had a heart bypass, and is back on the road to health again.

Speaking about why Jon chose to raise money for Heart Research UK, he said: “Heart Research UK are supporting vital work, and are based in Yorkshire, so they were the obvious choice. This is a personal achievement for me, and I would like to raise awareness of heart conditions, the research into those conditions, and to show what can be accomplished by people with heart conditions.”

Jon will be joining almost a thousand other runners on Boxing Day, and hopes to raise as much money as he can for the Leeds-based charity. People can give their donations on his fundraising page: uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JonRhodes1