By DAVID COULTER

Published at 07:38, Wednesday, 06 March 2013

REGARDED as Great Britain’s greatest ever decathlete, Daley Thompson is a household name from the sporting world.

And now entrants into a local event have the chance to line up against the double gold Olympian after he announced he is to take part in the Kielder Run-Bike-Run.

At the launch of the fourth annual Kielder Marathon, which will take place on Sunday, October 6, Thompson revealed he will join in with the previous day’s activities.

The well-known athlete, who picked up Olympic golds at Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984, has two young sons and knows all too well the importance of keeping them active with fun, exciting challenges that work for all the family.

He said: “Official NHS obesity statistics have dominated the media in recent weeks. To learn that one in ten children is obese is alarming to say the least.

“But thanks to last year’s Olympic fever, the nation is beginning to embrace more sporting activities and what better way to encourage and inspire our children to get fit, than to attend home-grown events?

“I’m delighted to be involved with the fourth Kielder Marathon and the beauty of the events is that there’s something for the whole family to take part in.”

The Run-Bike-Run will take place on the same day as the Kielder 10k on October 5, before the spectacle of the Salomon Kielder Marathon, billed Britain’s Most Beautiful, the following day.

Founder Steve Cram, an Olympic medallist himself, said: “Kielder Marathon weekend has grown year on year and I’m delighted we already have some ‘ever presents’, loyal participants who have competed in the marathon every single year since the event began in 2010 and who intend to maintain that record as the event continues to develop.”

Entries for all events are now open, with early bird discounts on offer. Bookings can be made online at www.kieldermarathon.com

Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk