FORMER schoolmates of brain haemorrhage victim Clarke Lister are running the Great North Run for the appeal founded in his name.

Former pupils of Shotton Hall Junior School, Peterlee, will be among 100 Durham Sixth Form Centre students tackling the half-marathon on Tyneside on Sunday.

Apparently fit and well, the football-mad ten-year-old collapsed and died of a haemorrhage in June 1996 after watching a match in the Euro '96 finals.

His parents, Brian and Carole, launched the Clarke Lister Brain Haemorrhage Foundation to fund research into the causes and provide community nurses and support for surviving victims and their families.

Two years ago a group of the college's students took part in the run and raised £6,000.

Carole said: "It is quite emotional because a lot of Clarke's schoolmates are at the college now.

"I'm absolutely delighted. It has a special attachment because they are his mates.''

Former schoolmate Dane Wilson, 17, who is studying A- levels, said: "The foundation is a good cause. Clarke was a nice lad."

More than 30 students who cannot take part in the run will be doing a sponsored aerobics session on Friday.

The college hopes to at least equal the £6,000 raised in 2000.

In all, the foundation, which aims to raise £1.2m, will have 120 people taking part in the Great North Run.

They include members of the Lister family - Carole will walk the route despite having sciatica - and members of former Arsenal footballer George Armstrong's family. The North-East-born star, part of the double-winning Gunners side of 1971, died of a haemorrhage in 2000 and his family is supporting the foundation.

His daughter, Jill Armstrong-Millson, her husband Tim Millson, and George's son, Tom Armstrong, will travel from Cambridge to take part.