ZURICH IT employee Richard Cox is preparing to complete a 50 mile Ultra Marathon from Worthing to Eastbourne in Sussex in memory of his mum next month.

Mr Cox, of Somerset Road, Rodbourne Cheney, is running the South Downs Way 50 to raise money for two charities for his mum, Jean Cox.

She spent five weeks at Prospect Hospice at the end of her yearlong battle with cancer and sadly passed away on February 27, 2014.

Mr Cox said: “My mum's last five weeks were spent in the Prospect Hospice who took great care of her and supported us, her family, throughout her time there.

“Without the option of the Prospect Hospice I really hate to imagine how things would have ended as her care needs were very high in many aspects.

“The pain of losing Mum is still and always will be there but I am comforted, in some way, knowing that her last moments were in peaceful surroundings, pain free and with Dad holding her.”

Mr Cox, who is married to Nina and has a four-year-old daughter, completed the Malta marathon to raise £2,500 in memory of his mother, a Maltese national, last year and wanted an even greater challenge in 2016.

So he signed up to the 50 mile foot race along the South Downs Way national trail on April 9 beginning in Worthing and finishing in Eastbourne.

Mr Cox, who completed his last big training run (30 miles) over the weekend, will start by negotiating six miles of chalk footpaths before joining the South Downs Way at Chantonbury Ring.

“It’s a test of personality, can you keep smiling through the pain?” he said.

“It’s quite scary when you say you have to go past Brighton, it’s basically from here to Reading. I have 13 hours to get it done, I hope I finish and I am quite happy to finish in 12 hours 59 minutes.

“The more I think about it the more I want to finish it. I have always said I want to attempt it and get as far as I can.

“Every step beyond 26 miles will be a step into the unknown, just how far can I go and where is my limit?

“From a personal achievement it will be the best thing I have done, knowing I could go 50 miles in one day would be huge. It would be my proudest achievement.”

Mr Cox will be splitting any money he raises between Prospect Hospice and his work charity Zurich Community Trust with his employers promising to match his final ZCT total.

To donate to Mr Cox’s cause visit: http://tinyurl.com/j4g4tqb