British man to run marathon in honour of his dead cat, Keith

Everyone needs a little motivation when training for a marathon. One British man is leaning on his deceased furry friend, Keith, to mentally help him tackle April’s London Marathon.

After Keith, the much-loved family pet passed away at the age of 11 last fall, Ian Holker of Manchester decided he would run the 2023 London Marathon to honour him and raise funds for the vet charity, People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), which helps provide care for sick and injured animals in the U.K.

“We lost our much-loved family cat, Keith, at 11, due to health issues with his respiratory system,” said Holker to Manchester Evening News. “We went through about six months of vet treatment, which cost us thousands of pounds.”

'Losing him made me want to do something to honour his memory' https://t.co/iKvQrYcglt

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Holker told Manchester Evening News that he is not a runner, but he’s on track for completion on April 23. Although Keith won’t be at the race, he will be watching and cheering Holker on from kitty heaven.

Since London is one of the six Abbott World Majors, it is difficult to get into the race by the ballot system. Getting a spot to run for a charity is one of the best ways to gain guaranteed entry into the marathon. If you are admitted via charity, you agree to raise a minimum amount for that charity in return for your spot. 

To help with his loss, last month Holker and his wife rescued a kitten name Molly. “We miss Keith so much, but we’ve got our little Molly now, and she’s reminded us how much joy pets bring to a family,” Holker said.

Holker has so far raised over $1,000 toward treating pets whose owners have nowhere else to turn.