A MOTHER-and-daughter running duo will tackle one of the world’s most popular half marathons in memory of their mother and grandma, who died last year from early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Amanda and Kristie Kenmir, of Middleton St George, near Darlington, are raising money and awareness of the condition by taking on the Great North Run next month.

When Merril Hall started forgetting things her family never dreamed she would have dementia as she was only in her 50s when she first started showing signs of the condition.

Mrs Kenmir recalled how her mother, who was a teacher at the time, was asked to meet with the headteacher and governors at the school she worked at as she had started to forget things. Later that day she left her job of 22 years and never returned.

She said: “I don’t think we knew that there was anything really different with mum at the time as she would write shopping lists to remember things when she went to the supermarket. But at school it was more noticeable as she was teaching young children and would forget what she had told them.”

Mrs Kenmir’s father, Colin, took early retirement and her parents settled in Benidorm, where he began picking up more of the everyday duties his wife could no longer do. It wasn’t until Mrs Hall was in her early 60s that she was formally diagnosed. By her 70th birthday she couldn’t remember how to blow out the candles on her cake and the couple moved home.

Sadly, her mother passed away in September last year, which prompted 47-year-old Mrs Kenmir to take on the Great North Run in her memory.

The duo have already smashed their fundraising target of £800 thanks to support from their families, friends and workplaces.

Amanda, who works at PX Group in Stockton,, said: “My company has offered to match my offline donations which has been a massive boost for our total. Our fundraising currently stands at about £1,400 but I think we have more donations to come with a few weeks to go before the race.”

Kenneth Foreman, Sporting Manager at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Sadly Amanda and Kristie’s story is all too familiar with 850,000 living with dementia across the UK.

If you would like to sponsor Amanda and Kristie and help them raise vital funds for dementia research visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/kristie-amanda