AN ITN newsreader has announced she will run in a North-East event to help families with devastating muscle-wasting conditions.

Nina Hossain has decided to make a nostalgic return to her old university city to help raise funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign by taking part in the new Durham City Town and Gown 10k charity run next month.

The main reason she will be joining hundreds of other runners inthe event on March 9 is to support two-year-old Iris Jaworksi, whose big sister, Bay, is a classmate of Nina’s own daughter.

Iris, who lives in the same area of Nottinghamshire as the newsreader and her family, was born with muscular dystrophy, a currently incurable, genetically transmitted muscle-wasting condition which affects about 70,000 families in the UK.

Iris’ s family are already fundraising for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign’s work, backing research into treatments for the conditions and supporting families affected.

Yorkshire-born Ms Hossain, who studied English language and linguistics at Durham University, will join Iris’s father, Paul, in tacking the run.

She first took up running in her early 30s, bur said she does not really view herself as a "runner".

But when she heard about the Durham City fundraising race she immediately decided she wanted to support Iris and her family.

“I am very much looking forward to the run, but can’t help feeling a little nervous about the hills,” she said.

“I enjoy the challenge of training and it is very motivating knowing that the hard work is going towards such a good cause.

“I am looking forward to spending the race weekend in Durham with my family and telling my son all about why this is such a special city for me. It has so much beautiful architecture and sometimes it seems like a well-kept secret to those who live outside of the region.”

The new Durham City event is the third addition to the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign Town and Gown 10k series, joining the popular events in Oxford and Cambridge which have jointly raised more than £1m for the charity.

The Durham City Town and Gown 10k will take place on Sunday March 9, following a route along the banks of the River Wear. A chip-timed race, it begins at 10am. Registration is £16 and is open to over 16s.

For more information about the event visit townandgown10k.com