PC's best friend to don his Great North Run vest
SuppliedPC Matthew Blades' best friend is taking his place in the Great North Run and raising funds for Parkinson's UK on his behalf.
He was one of two Cleveland Police officers who died when their patrol vehicle was hit by a car going the wrong way on the A66 near Middlesbrough last month, killing seven people.
PC Blades' friend of 30 years Daragh Burke, from Guisborough, will step into his place for Sunday's half marathon and said: "I just wanted to make sure that his vest makes it over the finish line."
The 37-year-old said his friend would be "laughing his head off that I'm doing it" as his starting place was just behind the elite runners - despite him having two weeks of training.
The pair were friends through primary school to university and were godfather to each other's children.
"[He was] just someone that was always there and I never expected to not be there," Burke said.
The officer had taken on a series of runs this year to raise money for the charity, and the Newcastle to South Shields run was to be his second-to-last challenge.
SuppliedNeither of the men had taken on the Great North Run before and PC Blades was raising money for Parkinson's UK after his mother-in-law was diagnosed.
The charity's chief executive Caroline Rassell said it was honoured he was supporting them and added the team were "incredibly grateful" to Burke for running in his place.
The Great North Run company said his running number had been officially reallocated and reminded other runners not to place swap as each run number was linked to "important personal information that race organisers may need to access quickly".
SuppliedBurke said if onlookers saw him on the route, they could give him a shout and "just think of why I'm doing it".
"Not for me, for him," he said.
"He was just the happiest person you could ever meet, always smiling, always up for a laugh and just made time for everyone."
