Eight members of the same family are taking part in a half marathon in honour of a relative who died from a rare form of cancer.

Conor McNamara, from North Harrow, is joining his brother Ronan, and their cousins Dan, Patrick, Frank, David, Dominic and Chris to take on the 13.1 mile race in Richmond.

They are running in honour of Sharon Healy, who died in June aged 59 after being diagnosed with sarcoma 15 months earlier.

Sarcoma is a rare form of cancer that develops in the muscles, bones, nerves, cartilage, tendons, blood vessels and fatty and fibrous tissues.

It is a relatively unknown disease and, although it can be treated if caught early, it is often too late for most victims.

The boys are collectively raising money for Sarcoma UK – a charity focused on raising awareness of sarcoma through ground-breaking initiatives.

Conor, 23, explained that Sharon was an incredibly caring and fun-loving person who would always put others’ needs before her own.

“She was so warm and she had a keen interest in children, so much so that she ran St Monica’s Nursery in Enfield for many years,” he said.

“You never saw her in a bad mood, she always had a smile on her face and she was always genuinely interested to see how you were doing.

“She was always looking to help others and was never one to speak about herself. She was a wonderful woman.”

Sharon is survived by her devoted husband, James, three children, Sinead, Daniel and Chessie, and two grandchildren, Beau and Marcus, and she cherished the time she spent with all of them.

Conor added that he believes she would have been proud of what her relatives are hoping to achieve, and that she would afford a smile at the natural competitiveness that has emerged.

“We’re quite a varied group,” he explained. “Some of us are able to run 5km every weekend, while others haven’t run since we did PE.

“There is some competitiveness, particularly between brothers, but I think the main aim is to make sure that we get across the finish line.”

The Richmond Half Marathon takes place on September 17. To donate on behalf of Sarcoma UK, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sarcomaukrichmondhalf