A MONMOUTH schoolteacher will be running in aid of the Alzheimers Society at the Swansea Half Marathon this weekend to pay tribute to her father.

Kate Callaghan, 51, is the head of rowing at the Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls, the club founded by her father John Hartland, 80, in the early 1990s.

Father-of-three Mr Hartland, the former Monmouth Rowing Club chairman and regatta secretary, ran the club for more than 30 years since arriving in 1964.

He was involved in the building of the town club's boathouse in 1969 and its extension in the mid-1990s.

During his time the club produced several Olympic medallists, including his own son James Hartland, Charlie Wiggin, and London 2012 champions Heather Stanning and Helen Glover's coach Robin Williams.

He was also chairman of Welsh Rowing and led the Wales team to the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games in 1986 and, before his illness, was involved in the town's Rotary Club.

Mrs Callaghan, who rowed for Wales in the Games, said: "Dad hasn't been very well and is now living in Gibraltar House over the tunnels in Monmouth.

"Doing a sponsored run in aid of the Alzheimers Society seemed the least I could do."

She will be running alongside sisters Emily, Hannah and Megan Davies, who are running in honour of their grandmother Evelyn Davies, from Caerleon, and are jointly raising money for the Alzheimers Society and Stroke Association.

Emily is the girlfriend of Kate's son Dominic, while Hannah rowed for GB and Wales at junior level under Kate's coaching and Megan for Wales.

Mrs Callaghan added: "Hopefully the weather will be good for running, and we can raise some cash towards fighting these terrible illnesses."

To sponsor them, go to https://www.justgiving.com/teams/Runningforourheroes.