A Corsham man will be taking part in the New York Marathon next month to raise money for the Asthma UK charity.

Tim Matcham, 50, a garden designer, is flying to America to take part in the 26.2-mile endurance event, held on November 6, as a tribute to a friend’s daughter, Antonia Thomas, who died two years ago from severe asthma.

Mr Matcham, who is aiming to raise £3,000 through his Just Giving page, has stepped up his training in recent weeks and wants to beat his personal best of four hours and 13 minutes, which he ran at the London Marathon in 2005.

He said: “The most important thing is to finish and raise money for Asthma UK but getting a good time would be the icing on the cake.”

Asthma UK, which supports 5.4 million people in the UK whose lives are affected by the illness, said three people a day died from asthma in Britain and 90 per cent of these deaths were preventable.

To support Mr Matcham visit www.justgiving.com/TimMatcham-NewYork.