A KENDAL businessman is taking on a gruelling challen- ge in memory of his mother who was brutally murdered by her husband earlier this year.

Kelvyn James, manager of double glazing firm 1stFrame, and his brother Danny Humphries, will attempt the Great Langdale Marathon on September 25.

The pair hope to raise £25,000 by the end of the year through this event, and other marathons, for Women’s Aid, a charity which supp-orts women suffering from domestic violence.

Mr James’ mother Carole, 57, was stabbed almost 100 times on January 15 by her husband, Steven Green, at their flat, in Lytham St Annes.

Green was convicted of her murder on July 27 and sentenced to 23 years in prison for what the judge described as an ‘evil and despicable’ crime.

Mr James said: “We ask ourselves every day how can we have not known our mum was at risk?

“We spoke to her on the phone every week, but it was only during the trial that we learnt that her husband was already on bail for assaulting her.

"Sadly we’ve come to discover that the tragedy that has befallen us happens to over 100 women each year and, like our mum, most of these women are too scared to speak out, or they don’t know that there is help out there for them.”

Mr James, 40, said training for the marathon had helped him and his brother, who lives in Gateshead, keep busy in the difficult time leading up to the trial.

He said, “We want to help Women’s Aid because there needs to be more awareness of what they do.

"Perhaps if our mum had known there was a place to go like Women’s Aid, and people to talk to, then perhaps she would still be with us today.”

The marathon takes runners anti-clockwise from Great Langdale to Little Langdale, through Skelwith Bridge, Chapel Style and Dungeon Ghyll.

Reputed to be among the toughest road events in the UK, it is exceptionally steep in parts, with a 1:3 gradient.

The challenge is even more testing for Mr James, who broke both legs 18 years ago in a climbing accident, and had to learn to walk again.

“One thing we both know is that we got our determ-ination from our mum, so we’re confident we won’t let her down,” he said.

The Great Langdale Marath-on marks the start of a year of extreme challenges for the pair.

Mr James will be climbing the Eiger, in the Alps, while his brother will be running 33.5 marathons from now until March 2011 – the distance between Land’s End and John O’Groats.

To sponsor them visit the website below.