Lawrence Hutton is gearing up for the Oxford Half Marathon this weekend – his fourth sporting challenge of 2022, all in support the Oxford Children’s Hospital.

Lawrence, 32, from Abingdon works at the Churchill Hospital as a Clinical Scientist in the Radiation Physics and Protection Department.

But it’s his three and a half year old son, Josh who has motivated him to go the extra mile.

Lawrence explains: “When he was little, Josh was diagnosed with a very rare genetic condition called KBG syndrome, which affects only 400 people worldwide.

“The hospitals have supported Josh - and us - and continue to do so with regular reviews and treatment and we are incredibly grateful for all they do.”

By the age of three and a half Josh has been treated by over 12 departments across the John Radcliffe Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre – and Lawrence wants them all to know the difference they have made.

This weekend’s Oxford Half Marathon is the last event of his year of fundraising, which has included the OX5 Run in March, the Blenheim Palace Triathlon (Sprint distance) in May and the London Triathlon (Olympic distance) in August.

He said: "We owe so much to the Genetics department here in Oxford which carried out Whole Genome sequencing to identify his syndrome. We were one of the first families to have this done in Oxford on the NHS and this was how we found out about his genetic syndrome and potential future care needs.

“These events have been our way give something back for all the care and input that we have received. We want to raise as much money as possible so that these amazing services can continue to support so many children and their families, like ours”

Jane Bray, from Oxford Hospitals Charity said: “Lawrence’s fundraising throughout the year has been inspirational and we can’t thank him enough. The Children’s Hospital and children’s team at the NOC will benefit greatly from his donation which is already over £1,600, which is just fantastic.”

If you would like to donate to Lawrence’s JustGiving page please click here.

Please help him to raise as much money as possible for our very special hospitals – and think of him, and our other amazing runners this Sunday as they tackle their thirteen (and a bit) miles through the beautiful streets of Oxford.