Crew manager Adrian ‘Dusty’ Miller, an on-call firefighter, is to walk from Poole to Weymouth dressed as a meerkat to raise funds for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

After this year’s London Marathon was cancelled to all but elite athletes, the organisers contacted everyone who was due to run – or had entered the ballot for a place – to invite them to participate in the Virtual London Marathon, to be held on 4 October.

Having tried for several years to get a place in the actual race, Dusty decided to take up the virtual challenge – and the 27-mile route between Poole fire station and Weymouth fire station was ideal.

He said, “I didn’t want to just look like someone out for a jog, so I decided to go for fancy dress. A bit of internet searching found me Mo LeCule the meerkat, mascot of motor neurone disease research in Sheffield, so I’ve got a meerkat costume to wear. However, the head is really restrictive, so I will be walking rather than running. I’m aiming to leave Poole at 8am and hopefully be back in Weymouth before the end of the day.”

Dusty has chosen to support the Motor Neurone Disease Association, having known several people who have suffered from the illness. One former colleague, Andy Culliford, was a firefighter in Bournemouth until he was forced to retire.

To support Dusty in his efforts, please visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/dusty999?utm_source=Sharethis&utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=dusty999&utm_campaign=pfp-email&utm_term=ce91c0475a934360beb7f57e437e14be.