Wakefield Triathlon team complete their big Dale push Leeds Marathon challenge

Seventeen members of the club had trained through rain, hail, wind and snow just to get to the start line and were determined to get round to raise money for a worthy cause.

“I couldn’t believe these lovely people would do this!" said Dale. "I’m aiming to run the marathon next year!”

Dale was knocked off his bike in September by a motorcyclist while riding in the Alps. He broke his back in three places and fractured his pelvis.

“He has more metalwork inside him than the bionic man,” said his friend Graham Ward-Thompson who organised the pushing team with more friends from the triathlon club.

“The support from the people of Leeds and in Otley was stupendous!”

Bev Dumont said: “What great cheering and thanks for all the sweets!”

“Most importantly”, said Dale, “Look North’s Amy Garcia said hello to me and I gave her one of my sherbets to keep her going – but I was gutted not to see Keeley Donovan!”

Rugby league legend Rob Burrow suffers from Motor Neurone Disease and was also pushed round the 26.2 mile course by his friend Kevin Sinfield who then carried him over the finish line in emotional scenes.

“There was 17 of us, but there’s no way we’re doing that” said Adam Foster, one of Dale’s pushers “He’s eaten too many pies!”

The team raised almost £4,000 for the MND Association. Anyone who wants to donate can go to Just Giving and type in “The Big Dale Push”.