HE has vowed to get to the finish line - whatever it takes.

Mark Cowdery, 38, will join thousands of others in pounding the streets later this month at the Great South Run.

He has been training hard but it will still be one of the biggest challenges of his life.

For Mark, a freelance project manager, suffers from cystic fibrosis and his health has hampered his progress, restricting the hours he can put in.

Determined However, he is determined to complete the ten-mile course to raise £1,500 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

Mark, of Elms Road, Fareham, said: "The Great South Run will be a real challenge for me, but a lot of people with cystic fibrosis are very ill and can't run at all.

"So the knowledge I will be raising funds to help them will spur me on to the finish line.

"My wife, Lynn, has been absolutely superb throughout my training.

"She has been out running with me to keep me going on the long runs, which makes it so much easier for me and allows me to build up my stamina."

The Great South Run takes place in Portsmouth on October 22.

To sponsor Mark and help fund vital gene therapy research by the Cystic Fibrosis Trust visit www.justgiving.com/mark _cowdery.