Lee-on-the-Solent widow to take on London Marathon to raise charity funds for Music for All in memory of beloved trumpet-playing husband

After years of trying to enter the iconic race through the public ballot, Deirdre Howell received the call up for last year’s event just after the death of her husband Kenneth, aged 90.

Lee-on-the-Solent resident Deirdre, 68, will take on the challenge when it returns to the streets of London this October to raise funds in the musician’s memory for charity Music for All.

Deirdre was married to Ken for 20 years, and they were together for 43 years in total, before he passed away in November 2019.

Keen runner Deirdre said: ‘Ken was such a wonderful person, everybody loved him. We had such a happy marriage.

‘It was just weird that after years of trying to get into the London Marathon, after he passed away I got the letter and got through on my own ballot.’

As the usual London Marathon was postponed last year due to the pandemic, Deirdre took on the virtual challenge and pounded the streets around Lee-on-the-Solent and Hill Head in stormy weather.