A County Durham man last week completed a run the same length as a marathon in a fundraising effort after his cousin sadly took his own life three days before Christmas last year.

28-year-old Dale Thompson from Murton in Seaham took on the nearly 29-mile run on March 31, just over three months after his cousin, Liam McNally, tragically took his own life.

Liam, who was also 28, left the house on December 22 to take his dog for a walk but never returned. It was later discovered he had taken his own life and his "very loyal" dog stayed by his side.

The Northern Echo: Liam McNally.Liam McNally. (Image: JULIE RICHARDS)

Following his death, Dale decided he wanted to step up and do something to not only raise money in memory of Liam but also for his friend Jonathon Heppell from Easington Colliery, a 28-year-old dad who took his own life on January 2.

That's when he came up with the idea of completing a marathon and any funds would be donated to the Andy's Man Club Murton which will host its first session on April 8, giving men the chance to talk about their mental health. 

"I've always trained, went to the gym and played sport my whole life," Dale said. "We were trying to come up with ways to fundraise."

"I said I would run the marathon, and we all said that would be the best idea."

When picking the route, Dale said he "just knew" where to go, as he has run around the area for many years.

In the end, he ran up to South Shields and back in just under five hours.

The Northern Echo: The route taken by Dale.The route taken by Dale. (Image: DALE THOMPSON)

Now, having raised the money for the Andy's Man Club, Dale admitted he is "glad it's over", as it was a pretty daunting task to take on.

The first session of the Andy's Man Club Murton will take place from 7-9pm at the Glebe Centre on April 8 - and facilitator Christopher Nutton has urged anyone to come along.

He said: “At first it's difficult – walking into a room full of men that you don’t know. The common thing we say is that we were all there at one point and had to come through that door.

“The biggest piece of advice I would say is to take that first step. Come, sit and chat – it’s really informal.

“Once you’ve been and get a feel for it you’ll enjoy it as time goes on. It’s a daunting prospect but you’re not going to know about it until you go and experience it yourself.

“90% of the lads who have been say they feel better by the end of the session as they have been able to speak to someone about it.”

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