Dad fights pain barrier to take on half marathon

Peter Watt lost his mum, dad, and sister-in-law to cancer and is raising cash for Cancer Research UK.

The 40-year-old is a driver team manager at Glasgow Queen Street Station and has received £500 towards his fundraising total from First Group, ScotRail’s parent company.

He will take on the Great Scottish run half marathon next month with his son Stephen Watt (21), a conductor based at Stirling station.

Peter, from Bishopbriggs, ran the full Glasgow marathon in 1986 at the age of 22 with some colleagues before completing the city’s half marathon a few years later.

The dad-of-three said: “I usually run the odd 20 minutes when I go to the gym, but haven’t done anything like a half marathon for many years.

“I thought applying to FirstGroup for funding would make a big difference to the charity and to my fundraising efforts, and I was delighted when my application was accepted.

“A combination of things made me decide to do the half marathon. I pulled a muscle in my back earlier in the year and was then diagnosed with sciatica. I could hardly walk, never mind run.

“Also, around the same time, I was told I had arthritis in both my big toe joints, which had been causing me some pain.

“I had always kept myself reasonably fit, but I was beginning to feel like I was falling to pieces. I decided that I would go back to the gym, which has also helped my back.”

The Great Scottish Run 10k and half-marathon take place on Sunday, October 6.

To find out more about Peter’s challenge and to sponsor him, visit www.justgiving.com/peter-watt

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