A RUGBY player is approaching the finishing line as he attempts to complete an epic 1,000km charity challenge.

Kenneth Reader is running 10km every day for 100 days in a row to raise money in memory of his late great uncle Solly Reader.

The Durham City Rugby Club forward is close to completing the challenge and hopes to raise more than £2,000 for the Alzheimer’s Society by the end of July.

After completing his 89th run today (Friday, July 18), the 26-year-old said: “I decided to take part in this challenge for Alzheimer’s Society to remember my Uncle Solly who died four years ago after suffering with Alzheimer's.

“It made me realise what a shattering disease dementia can be because he used to be the life and soul of the party but Alzheimer’s robbed him of his vibrant personality.

“So I thought I should do my bit to fight dementia in his memory. Now it’s nice to think that I will be raising funds to help support people to live well with dementia and to fund research to one day find a cure for dementia."

Mr Reader, a former Durham School player, has been running about an hour day, mostly around his home town of Durham but also in Newcastle, South Shields and even London as he closes in on his final run on July 29.

He said: “It’s been okay – I have struggled to fit it in round my life.

“I still go out on Saturday nights and have to face a run on Sunday morning and I have to fit in running around work, so I sometime have to run in my lunch hour.

“But I have been really lucky, I’ve had some aches and pains but no injuries.”

To sponsor him, please visit justgiving.com/Kenneth-Reader1