September 4, 2014 3.03 pm This story is over 113 months old

Red Arrow and charity founder set for Great North Run

Swapping wings for trainers: Dr Emma Egging, who set up a charity in memory of her husband and Red Arrow pilot Jon Egging, will be joined by his air teammate in the Great North Run.

Dr Emma Egging, who co-founded a charity in memory of her husband and Red Arrow pilot Jon Egging, will be joined by his air teammate in the Great North Run.

Jon Egging (Red 4) lost his life after an air display crash in 2011. Since, Emma has been helping disadvantaged children with the Jon Egging Trust charity and Blue Skies programme.

To raise money for the programme, Emma will complete the half marathon from Newcastle upon Tyne to South Shields on Sunday, September 7.

Joining Emma on her run will be several friends of Jon’s, including his Red Arrows teammate Chris Lyndon-Smith.

Also supporting in the run will be Mark Franzoni, who was one of Jon’s close friends at school and now teaches at Southam College – the school they both attended.

Emma said: “The Great North run and its association with the Red Arrows will always make it a particularly poignant race for me.

“It means a great deal to be running to raise money for the trust with so many of Jon’s friends. Fund raising initiatives like the GNR are absolutely vital to our success, as the majority of our programmes rely on the generosity of the public.

“A donation of just £45 would put one young person through a day on one of our Blue Skies Programmes, and help them to be the best they can be.”

Red Arrows pilot Chris Lyndon Smith promised to run the half marathon in his flying kit if he managed to hit his target of £3000.

He said: “Having spent the past few years flying in the opening flypast with the Red Arrows I have decided its now time to actually run.

“I hope to raise as much money as possible for the Jon Egging Trust. If I raise my target of £3000 I will run the event in my flying kit.”

People wishing to donate can do so via Emma’s JustGiving page, or Chris’s JustGiving page.

At the time of writing the pair have managed to raise almost £2,000.