A YORK gallery owner is to run the race as a cat after his clients raised more than £2,500 for a pets charity.

Peter Hanson, who owns the Cat Gallery in Low Petergate, will come good on a promise to run the marathon in fancy dress after raising money for Cat Chat.

With donations at £2,520, Peter has a set of ears, a tail, and a facepaints at the ready for the race.

Cat Chat is an internet-based charity which helps rescue centres find homes for cats, and Peter’s business already sponsors its “senior kittizens” section.

He said: “We have two older cats ourselves – Geoffrey and Ethel – so it’s a cause close to our hearts.”

It will be Peter’s first marathon after being hampered by years of knee problems.

“I have tried to do the London Marathon about four times, and the closest I’ve got is about six weeks before when I had run 20 miles in training, but then my knees just gave up.

“I had something called IT band syndrome - it’s when your foot doesn’t land properly so a band on the outside of the knee just rubs and rubs,” Peter said.

He hopes the help of biomechanics specialists and physiotherapy from the Highthorn Clinic in Hull Road, and orthotic inserts in his shoes will help him get round the course.