A DEVOTED son will be tackling his first marathon this month to raise awareness of a cancer that affects more than 35,000 men every year.

Carl Parnell, 31, a ground worker from Bury St Edmunds, is racking up the training miles for the London Marathon to raise money for the Prostate Cancer Charity in honour of his father David, who was diagnosed in September 2008.

Not only is it first 26.2-mile event for the father-of-one, the former King Edward schoolboy said it would be the first time he would get to see many of London’s great landmarks.

He said: “When dad was diagnosed it was a massive shock for all of us. The word cancer makes you think all sorts of horrible thoughts, but seeing dad being so strong through all of this even though he is so tired now and was in so much pain at the beginning made me think I should raise money and awareness of the cancer.”

Mr Parnell, of Pembroke Road, who works with his father at their family-run business in Stowmarket, said he was shocked to discover that one man dies every hour from prostate cancer in the UK.

Despite his father currently undergoing a second course of chemotherapy Mr Parnell has managed to keep up his intensive training schedule. “I know it’s going to be very emotional as mum and dad will be there on the day and my three-year-old daughter Sophie will be watching on the TV.

“The race will actually be the first time I’ve seen all the great landmarks of London so it should be quite an experience,” he said.

Mr Parnell is hoping to raise more than �2,000 for the charity which supports families of men suffering from the cancer and funds research into a cure.

To support his marathon effort go to www.justgiving.com/ carl-parnell0

For more information on the cancer go to www.prostatecancer.org