James Tattingham, 25, is running in the London Marathon to raise money for Help for Heroes.

FATHER-OF-TWO James Tattingham will be thinking of his former colleagues in the army when he crosses the London Marathon finish line on Sunday.

James Tattingham, 25, is running in the London Marathon to raise money for Help for Heroes.

The 25-year-old, from Gorefield, could only watch as friends lost limbs in explosions in the deserts of Afghanistan in 2008.

But now he is gearing up for his second marathon to raise money for injured servicemen - and pay tribute to his former colleagues in the parachute regiment.

Mr Tattingham said: “It’s something that’s very close to my heart.

“I just want to help the armed forces and all those who have been injured. Quite a few of my old friends from the army have already donated.”

James Tattingham, 25, is running in the London Marathon to raise money for Help for Heroes.

Mr Tattingham, who served in the parachute regiment for four years, raised almost £1,000 for the British Limbless Ex-Service Men’s Association (BLESMA) by running the Reading Half Marathon last year.

He has already collected more than £500 of sponsorship for Sunday’s marathon, which will go to Help for Heroes.

He said: “My old regiment were actually out in Afghanistan while I was running the half marathon. I’ll definitely be thinking about them when I’m in London.

“I’m a bit nervous because I want to try and get a decent time and I have never run that far before.

“I used to do long distances with heavy weights on my back in the army, but not that far.”

Mr Tattingham served in the Falklands and completed a seven-month tour of Afghanistan. He now works for an engineering company in Wisbech and lives in Gorefield with his wife and two children.

He said: “I have done a lot of training. I ran 17 miles last week and that went well. I also cycle to work every day.”

• To sponsor Mr Tattingham visit www.justgiving.com/jamestattingham or text the code JTLT87 followed by the amount you wish to donate to 70070. Sponsors can also guess at Mr Tattingham’s finish time, with the closest winning a prize. For more information e-mail: tattingham_james@hotmail.com