Dan Hollas running the London Marathon for Diabetes UK

Dan Hollas running in the London marathon in 2011

Dan Hollas, from Rochdale, has pledged to raise £3,000 for Diabetes UK by taking part in this year’s London Marathon.

Dan, who now lives in London, is taking part in the marathon in memory of his brother Simon who died at the age of 35.

Dan’s mum, Gill Hollas said: “Simon was diagnosed with diabetes when he was 10 years old. He died six years ago from a severe diabetic hypo. He went to bed fine and didn’t wake up. Dan has now decided to do the marathon in memory of his brother.”

Dan is pledging to raise at least £3,000 for Diabetes UK, the UK’s leading diabetes charity and largest charitable funder of Diabetes research.

Gill added: “It helps doing things like this I think. Dan did the marathon in 2011 for Simon and just decided that he wanted to do it again.”

Simon was the youngest of Gill and her husband David’s three sons. He was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 10 and never saw it as a problem, just one of life’s challenges.

After finishing school in Rochdale, Simon graduated from the University of Hull in 1994. He worked for several companies in the North before moving to Germany in 2000 to work for the European Commission as a research chemist.

As part of his employment with the Institute of Transuranium Elements at the European Commission, Simon had almost completed his PhD in Laser Ablations when he died.

He was posthumously awarded his PhD by Manchester University in December 2010.

Dan is now preparing for the Marathon and is hoping to improve his time from last time.

“He is well into his training now and knows what to expect and is looking to improve his time from the last time he did it,” added Gill.

As well as Dan raising money for Diabetes UK, Gill is also doing her bit and will be holding an afternoon of cheese, wine and cake to raise further funds.

She added: “Dan was born in Rochdale, lived in Rochdale and went to school in Rochdale but he now lives in London so I am doing my bit in Rochdale and holding a fundraising afternoon and whatever I raise will go towards the grand total.”

Anyone wishing to donate to Dan’s fundraising can do so by visiting:

https://www.justgiving.com/Dan-Hollas1/