Katy gives dad a run for his money

8:40am Sunday 31st August 2008

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A WOMAN will pay for her own £15,000 wedding if her dad does better in a race.

Katy Fishburne, 26, has challenged dad Rod, who underwent a hernia operation six months ago, to run 6.2 miles for Cancer Research UK in the grounds of Tatton Park.

If she triumphs, he will pay for her Arley Hall wedding in March, as the family had planned.

But if Mr Fishburne, 62, beats his estimated time by more than Miss Fishburne beats her own, she will have to pay up.

“He thought it was a brilliant idea, obviously,”said Miss Fishburne.

“I don’t think he’s expecting to win but he’ll give it a good go.”

Miss Fishburne, who lives in Grebe Close with her fiance Neil Barnes, has run in the annual Race for Life at Tatton for the past four years.

She knew her dad and mum Christine were considering running the 10k event next month and found the event website was encouraging people to run with friends or relatives.

“I was looking through all the challenges it suggested and they all seemed a bit boring,” she said.

“I thought I would make it a bit more interesting.” Mr Fishburne regularly ran with Cheshire Hash Harriers before his hernia operation and has been recovering well.

His estimated time - according to event website run10ktogether.com - is 1hour and five minutes. His daughter’s is 55 minutes.

“He’s a bit older so he gets an extra 10 minutes,” said Miss Fishburne.

“I’ve done a couple of 10ks so I know the estimated time for me is about right.”

Miss Fishburne, a scientist who works in Macclesfield, said she had been saving but did not want to blow the money on her wedding.

“I’m hoping that I can win and I’m pretty confident,” she said.

“I really don’t want him to beat me but at the same time I want him to do well.”

She has been putting in extra hours of training so she is ready for the race on September 20.

“It’s definitely made me work harder,” she said.

“Before when it was a bit cold or wet I might not have bothered going but I have been doing now.”