A FOOTBALL fanatic is raising money for charity by running a half-marathon while juggling a football with his feet.

Perry Hall, from Ovingham, will run 13.1 miles around Ovingham Playing Field on Saturday whilst keeping the ball in the air to raise money for the Great North Air Ambulance Service.

And for every time he drops the ball, he will donate £3.

The 22-year-old has so far raised more than £300 for the challenge, which requires complete concentration and focus.

“During the past month I have been trying to break some football world records in the park,” Perry said

“I was meant to run the Sheffield half-marathon in March but it was postponed and rescheduled for the autumn.

“Instead, I thought I could try and raise money by doing something different. Juggling the ball has helped me keep occupied.”

Perry had been training for the half-marathon since January and was still eager to put his training to good use, using lockdown time to effect.

However the prospect of juggling the ball for so long has added an extra challenge to the run.

He said: “It’s mentally draining looking at a ball for so long, but I have been practising with music playing to help me focus.

“The key is to keep my head down at all times.

“I have found that in training that it feels like I’ve been juggling the ball much longer than I have.

“The other night I thought I was juggling the ball for over an hour but it was only around 20 minutes.

“I am hoping it will take around four and a half hours to complete.

“Paying £3 for every time I drop the ball is definitely looking a lot in terms of my bank account at the moment.”

A local tribute to the work of the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic has been created by the groundskeeper of the playing fields with a large health service logo cut into the grass.

Perry added: “I chose the air ambulance service because I think a lot of attention has been on other charities recently and they need to be equipped and ready for the increased volume of people in rural areas.”

Donations to Perry’s fund-raiser can be made by visiting ‘Perry’s Half Marathon juggling Bonanza’ on Facebook.