Memories of a dear friend are spurring on former Clarendon House girl Rachael Roby to run the London Marathon to help the fight against heart disease.

Miss Roby, 26, and her boyfriend Tim Aikin, a former Chatham House boy and Thanet Wanderers player, will tackle the run in aid of Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY). 

She wanted to raise money for the charity to honour her former school friend Therese Field, who died suddenly from an unknown heart condition 10 years ago at the age of 16.

Miss Roby grew up in Ramsgate and her family now live in Broadstairs. 

She went to the University of Kent and is now a human resources officer with an IT consultancy in Guildford, where she lives. 

She used to do a lot of dancing and took part in the Thanet Race For Life several times. 

She is now doing up to four training sessions a week and has a few races lined up, including the Bath Half Marathon. 

Miss Roby said: "I miss Therese greatly and to mark the 10-year anniversary of her death, have chosen to run the London Marathon for her memorial fund at CRY as a celebration of her life." 

She is appealing for sponsors to contribute to her £1,500 target. 

You can donate online at www.justgiving.com/rachroby

CRY was founded in 1995 to raise awareness of heart disease in young people, which can cause sudden death. 

It offers counselling and support to families who have been affected by the condition. 

The charity also promotes heart screening and ECG testing programmes and contributes to medical research.