Sunderland's Horrible Histories author Terry Deary preparing to take on his 24th Great North Run as the historian eyes a quarter century of races

Author Terry Deary from Sunderland is preparing for his 24th Great North Run to raise money for the Willow Foundation, a charity which provides unique and unforgettable moments and experiences for people living with life-threatening illnesses.

Terry, who has sold over 36 million books in 45 languages, also scripted documentary feature film, ‘The Great North – a run, a river, a region’, which was released last year, and decided to run one last time after the film’s releases before retiring.

After completing the 2021 edition of the half marathon, the 76-year-old decided to keep going and is set to take part in the Great North Run this year and next year, to make his last run his 25th.

He said: “Everyone kept saying you can’t give up after 23 runs, it’s an odd number, you have to do 25. The run is a love/ hate thing, you have to do all the training and then when you’re there you just think why am I putting myself through this.

"But then you get to the finish line and it’s all worth it, that’s my favourite bit.

"It’s getting harder the older I get and Covid hasn’t helped but this charity is wonderful and it motivates me to keep going.”

The Willow Foundation, which has supported over 18,000 seriously ill young adults, creates tailor-made experiences to share with loved ones called ‘Special Days’, as well as personalised gift boxes filled with luxury items, with a different theme for each box to give a positive boost to those that need it most.

Terry added: “The Willow Foundation is brilliant and it’s a smaller charity, so it’s great raising funds for them.

"I’ve never been a runner but decided to challenge myself when I turned 40-years-old. It keeps me in good health and young so they say!”

This year’s Great North Run is set to be the largest in the history of the event, with 60,000 people running the route from Newcastle to South Shields on Sunday (September 11).