An Epsom man who lost his son to neuroblastoma four years ago is now running in four marathons in as many months to raise funds for a children’s cancer charity.

Adam Bird was first diagnosed with the “hideous disease” neuroblastoma in July of 2009 before dying just short of four years later aged nine.

His father Nick Bird, now a trustee for the charity Solving Kids’ Cancer, is now dedicating time to run four marathons in four months with the last one being in New York this November.

He is aiming to raise £4,444.

Nick told Sutton Guardian: “My running friends thought it was a good idea.

“I’m a decent runner but I’m not by any stretch a great runner so they thought the challenge was difficult but achievable. Some people say I’m a bit nuts but everyone has been supportive and are excited.”

Nick has set a target of finishing each marathon in under four hours.

On August 6 he completed the first marathon in Gloucester in three hours and 49 minutes.

He said: “When you do something in memory of your child that died then you become very invested in it. It’s not simply to raise money for charity. It takes a much greater significance.

“In a sense running helps me to stay sane. I started running a couple of years before Adam was diagnosed. When Adam was ill I used to run and it helped me to organise my thoughts. I would think about what’s going on with his treatment and stuff. And now since he’s died, it’s an escape.

“I go out and run, I’m on my own with my own thoughts and release. If I don’t run then I get grumpy and feel emotions of anger.”

Nick described Solving Kids' Cancer as a charity “close to my heart”.

“We are working as hard as possible so we can try and improve things for those already diagnosed and for those who will be diagnosed in future.

“What the charity tries to bring is more options to the UK. There will always be a need for some children to travel abroad. We are trying to provide the most promising and beneficial therapies.

“A child dies of this disease every ten days. I know too many children who have died of this illness, many of them around the same time as Adam.”

Nick believes it’s important for him to endure the physical challenges of doing back to back marathons

He elaborated: “Running for four hours is a long time. You think about all sorts of things when you run a marathon. Various parts of your body hurt.

“I got a stitch for the last four miles in Gloucester which was horrible. But the fact I’m running for Adam and in memory of everything he went through when he was ill pulls me through.

“If I’m being honest it’s good that it hurts. It should. It drives me on.”

The 46-year-old runner is now training and recovering in preparation for his next marathon in Richmond on September 17 before the third one in York on October 8.

On November 5 Nick hopes to run the New York Marathon which he said is fittingly four days before what would have been Adam’s 14th birthday.

He added: “My goal is to try to raise £4,444 for this charity who supported our family through the difficult times and is there for other families like my own.”

You can support Nick’s campaign here https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/4in4months?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=updates&utm_content=4in4months&utm_campaign=updates-facebook